Nuclear and Magnetic Structures of the Frustrated Quantum Antiferromagnet Barlowite, Cu${}_4$(OH)${}_6$FBr

Abstract

Barlowite, Cu${}_4$(OH)${}_6$FBr, has attracted much attention as the parent compound of a new series of quantum spin liquid candidates, Zn${}_x$Cu${}_{4-x}$(OH)${}_6$FBr. While it is known to undergo a magnetic phase transition to a long-range ordered state at $T_N=15$ K, there is still no consensus over either its nuclear or magnetic structures. Here, we use comprehensive powder neutron diffraction studies on deuterated samples of barlowite to demonstrate that the only space group consistent with the observed nuclear and magnetic diffraction at low-temperatures is the orthorhombic $Pnma$ space group. We furthermore conclude that the magnetic intensity at $T<T_N$ is correctly described by the $P{n}^{\prime }{m}^{\prime }a$ magnetic space group, which crucially allows the ferromagnetic component observed in previous single-crystal and powder magnetisation measurements. As such, the magnetic structure of barlowite resembles that of the related material clinoatacamite, Cu${}_4$(OH)${}_6$Cl${}_2$, the parent compound of the well-known quantum spin liquid candidate hebertsmithite, ZnCu${}_3$(OH)${}_6$Cl${}_2$.

arXiv comment11 pages, 4 figures, supplemental material

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Cited by in corpus (10)

• Quantum Magnetism in Minerals
• Materializing Rival Ground States in the Barlowite Family of Kagome Magnets: Quantum Spin Liquid, Spin Ordered, and Valence Bond Crystal States
• From magnetic order to quantum disorder: a $\mu$SR study of the Zn-barlowite series of $S=\frac{1}{2}$ kagomé antiferromagnets, Zn${}_x$Cu${}_{4-x}$(OH)${}_6$FBr
• Site-Specific Structure at Multiple Length Scales in Kagome Quantum Spin Liquid Candidates
• Nonlocal effects of low-energy excitations in quantum-spin-liquid candidate Cu${}_3$Zn(OH)${}_6$FBr
• Magnetic phase diagram of Cu${}_{4-x}$Zn${}_x$(OH)${}_6$FBr studied by neutron-diffraction and $\mu$SR techniques
• Antiferromagnetism in kagome $\alpha$-Cu${}_3$Mg(OH)${}_6$Br${}_2$
• Emergence of the spin polarized domains in the kagome lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet Zn-barlowite (Zn${}_{0.95}$Cu${}_{0.05}$)Cu${}_3$(OD)${}_6$FBr
• Magnetically ordered and kagome quantum spin liquid states in the Zn-doped claringbullite series
• Local probe investigation of the spin dynamics in the kagome and inter-layers of orthorhombic barlowite Cu${}_4$(OD)${}_6$FBr: ${}^{79}$Br and ${}^{63}$Cu NQR study