Crystal-electric-field excitations in a quantum-spin-liquid candidate NaErS${}_2$

Abstract

The delafossite family of compounds with a triangular lattice of rare earth ions has been recently proposed as a candidate host for quantum spin liquid (QSL) states. To realize QSLs, the crystal-electric-field (CEF) ground state of the rare earth ions should be composed of a doublet that allows sizable quantum tunneling, but till now the knowledge on CEF states in the delafossite compounds is still limited. Here we employ inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to study the CEF transitions in a powder sample of the delafossite NaErS${}_2$, where the large total angular momentum $J=15/2$ of the Er${}^{3+}$ ions and the resulting plethora of CEF transitions enable an accurate fit of the CEF parameters. Our study reveals nearly isotropic spins with large $J_z=\pm 1/2$ components for the Er${}^{3+}$ CEF ground states, which might facilitate the development of a QSL state. The scaling of the obtained CEF Hamiltonian to different rare earth ions suggests that sizable $J_z=\pm 1/2$ components are generally present in the CEF ground states, supporting the ternary sulfide delafossites as potential QSL hosts.

arXiv comment7 pages, 5 figures, with updated XRD refinement and CEF analysis

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• Low-energy Spin Dynamics of Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate $NaYbS{e}_2$
• Magnetic properties of triangular lattice antiferromagnets Ba3RB9O18 (R = Yb, Er)
• Stripe antiferromagnetic ground state of ideal triangular lattice KErSe${}_2$
• Exchange renormalized crystal field excitation in a quantum Ising magnet KTmSe${}_2$
• Fractional Spin fluctuations and quantum liquid signature in Gd2ZnIrO6
• Stripe order and spin dynamics in triangular-lattice antiferromagnet KErSe${}_2$: A single-crystal study with a theoretical description
• Emergent Dispersive Multipolar Excitations in NaErSe${}_2$
• Anomalous enhancement of magnetism by nonmagnetic doping in the honeycomb-lattice antiferromagnet ErOCl