Disordered Route to the Coulomb Quantum Spin Liquid: Random Transverse Fields on Spin Ice in Pr${}_2$Zr${}_2$O${}_7$

Abstract

Inelastic neutron scattering reveals a broad continuum of excitations in Pr${}_2$Zr${}_2$O${}_7$, the temperature and magnetic field dependence of which indicate a continuous distribution of quenched transverse fields ($\Delta$) acting on the non-Kramers Pr${}^{3+}$ crystal field ground state doublets. Spin-ice correlations are apparent within 0.2 meV of the Zeeman energy. A random phase approximation provides an excellent account of the data with a transverse field distribution $\rho (\Delta )\propto ({\Delta }^2+{\Gamma }^2{)}^{-1}$ where $\Gamma =0.27(1)$ meV. Established during high temperature synthesis due to an underlying structural instability, it appears disorder in Pr${}_2$Zr${}_2$O${}_7$ actually induces a quantum spin liquid.

5 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Field Induced Order and Spin Waves in the Pyrochlore Antiferromagnet Tb2Ti2O7
• Antiferro-quadrupolar correlations in the quantum spin ice candidate Pr2Zr2O7
• Synthesis, floating zone crystal growth and characterization of the Quantum Spin Ice $\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{r}}_2\mathrm{Z}{\mathrm{r}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_7$ pyrochlore

Cited by in corpus (8)

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• Long-range dynamical magnetic order and spin tunneling in the cooperative paramagnetic states of the pyrochlore analogous spinel antiferromagnets CdYb2X4 (X = S, Se)
• Evidence for the Confinement of Magnetic Monopoles in Quantum Spin Ice
• Upper branch magnetism in quantum magnets: Collapses of excited levels and emergent selection rules
• Disorder and Quantum spin ice