Experimental Realization of a Quantum Breathing Pyrochlore Antiferromagnet

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of a new Yb-based material Ba3Yb2Zn5O11 are reported. This material is identified as the first model system of a pseudospin-1/2 quantum antiferromagnet on "breathing" pyrochlore lattice characterized by an alternating array of small and large Yb tetrahedra. Despite dominant antiferromagnetic interactions J ~ 7 K, a large amount of magnetic entropy (25%) remains at 0.38 K, indicating that each small Yb tetrahedron forms a unique doubly degenerate singlet state. These results are well described by the Heisenberg pseudospin-1/2 single tetrahedron model.

11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PRL; rejected and transferred to PRB

References in corpus (4)

• Rods of Neutron Scattering Intensity in Yb2Ti2O7: Compelling Evidence for Significant Anisotropic Exchange in a Magnetic Pyrochlore Oxide
• Structural distortion and the spin liquid state in Tb2Ti2O7
• Energetic selection of ordered states in a model of the Er2Ti2O7 frustrated pyrochlore XY antiferromagnet
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• Hedgehog-lattice spin texture in classical Heisenberg antiferromagnets on the breathing pyrochlore lattice
• Spin ordering induced by lattice distortions in classical Heisenberg antiferromagnets on the breathing pyrochlore lattice
• Competing quantum spin liquids, gauge fluctuations, and anisotropic interactions in a breathing pyrochlore lattice
• Selection of factorizable ground state in a frustrated spin tube: Order by disorder and hidden ferromagnetism
• Investigation of the complex magnetism in the breathing pyrochlore LiIn(Cr${}_{1-x}$Rh${}_x$)${}_4$O${}_8$
• Ferromagnetic Cr4PtGa17: A Novel Half-Heusler-Type Compound with a Breathing Pyrochlore Lattice