Incommensurate and multiple-$\mathbf{q}$ magnetic misfit order in the frustrated quantum-spin-ladder material antlerite, Cu${}_3$SO${}_4$(OH)${}_4$

Abstract

In frustrated magnetic systems, the competition amongst interactions can introduce extremely high degeneracy and prevent the system from readily selecting a unique ground state. In such cases, the magnetic order is often exquisitely sensitive to the balance among the interactions, allowing tuning among novel magnetically ordered phases. In antlerite, Cu${}_3$SO${}_4$(OH)${}_4$, Cu${}^{2+}$ ($S=1/2$) quantum spins populate three-leg zigzag ladders in a highly frustrated quasi-one-dimensional structural motif. We demonstrate that at zero applied field, in addition to its recently reported low-temperature phase of coupled ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spin chains, this mineral hosts an incommensurate helical+cycloidal state, an idle-spin state, and a multiple-$q$ phase which is the magnetic analog of misfit crystal structures. The antiferromagnetic order on the central leg is reentrant. The high tunability of the magnetism in antlerite makes it a particularly promising platform for pursuing exotic magnetic order.

arXiv comment19 pages, 16 Figures, follow-up paper to arXiv:2203.15343. mCIFs describing the magnetic refinements are included as ancillary files

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Magnetic Phase Diagram of Rouaite, Cu${}_2$(OH)${}_3$NO${}_3$
• Disordered ground state in the three-dimensional face-centred frustrated spin-$\frac{5}{2}$ system MnSn(OH)${}_{\text{6}}$
• Stacking disorder in novel ABAC-stacked brochantite, Cu${}_4$SO${}_4$(OH)${}_6$
• High-field magnetic properties of the alternating ferro-antiferromagnetic spin-chain compound Cu${}_2$(OH)${}_3$Br