Quantum critical spin-liquid-like behavior in S = 1/2 quasikagome lattice CeRh1-xPdxSn investigated using muon spin relaxation and neutron scattering

Abstract

We present the results of muon spin relaxation ($\hat{I}¼$SR) and neutron scattering on the Ce-based quasikagome lattice CeRh${}_{1-x}$Pd${}_x$Sn ($x=0.1$ to 0.75). Our ZF-$\hat{I}¼$SR results reveal the absence of static long-range magnetic order down to 0.05~K in $x=0.1$ single crystals. The weak temperature-dependent plateaus of the dynamic spin fluctuations below 0.2~K in ZF-$\hat{I}¼$SR together with its longitudinal-field (LF) dependence between 0 and 3~kG indicate the presence of dynamic spin fluctuations persisting even at $T$ = 0.05~K without static magnetic order. On the other hand, $C_{\text{4f}}$/$T$ increases as --log $T$ on cooling below 0.9~K, passes through a broad maximum at 0.13~K and slightly decreases on further cooling. The ac-susceptibility also exhibits a frequency independent broad peak at 0.16~K, which is prominent with an applied field $H$ along $c$-direction. We, therefore, argue that such a behavior for $x=0.1$ (namely, a plateau in spin relaxation rate ($\hat{I}»$) below 0.2~K and a linear $T$ dependence in $C_{\text{4f}}$ below 0.13~K) can be attributed to a metallic spin-liquid (SL) ground state near the quantum critical point in the frustrated Kondo lattice. The LF-$\hat{I}¼$SR study suggests that the out of kagome plane spin fluctuations are responsible for the SL behavior. Low energy inelastic neutron scattering (INS) of $x$ = 0.1 reveals gapless magnetic excitations, which are also supported by the behavior of $C_{\text{4f}}$ proportional to $T^{1.1}$ down to 0.06~K.

19 pages and 9 figures