Magnetic-field and composition tuned antiferromagnetic instability in the quantum spin-liquid candidate NaYbO

Guo, J.*; Zhao, X.*; 河村 聖子; Ling, L.*; Wang, J.*; He, L.*; 中島 健次; Li, B.*; Zhang, Z.*

Physical Review Materials (Internet), 4(6), p.064410_1 - 064410_7, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.4.064410

NaYbO has been reported as a possible host for the quantum spin-liquid state. Here, the composition-dependent polycrystalline NaYbO (, 0.03, and 0.07) has been investigated by combining high-field magnetizations and inelastic neutron scattering techniques. For the sample, no signature of a magnetic order is observed down to 0.3 K. Inelastic neutron scattering measurement suggests a continuous low-energy excitation spectrum centered at momentum transfer ~ and extending up to energy transfer ~meV. In contrast, and 0.07 samples exhibit magnetic transitions at 1.1 and 2.3 K, respectively. High-field magnetization measurements indicate similar behaviors for and 0.03 samples including plateau-like features at the 1/3 saturated magnetization, which implies that the spin disorder in the sample might be suppressed preceding the emergence of the up-up-down phase. This composition- and field-dependent study allows us to construct complete phase diagrams indicating that NaYbO is a promising candidate for the quantum spin-liquid state in close proximity to the antiferromagnetic instability tuned by the application of magnetic fields as well as controlling the concentration of Na ion vacancies.