Multistage spin correlations in the $s$ = 1/2 stuffed hyper-star lattice Li${}_2$Cu${}_2$(MoO${}_4$)${}_3$

Abstract

Star lattice, which can be visualized as a honeycomb network with each vertex replaced by a triangle, provides a rare platform for realizing exotic quantum states such as quantum spin liquids and disorder-driven random-singlet (RS) states. Herein, we investigate the ground-state properties of the three-dimensional (3D) stuffed hyper-star lattice Li${}_2$Cu${}_2$(MoO${}_4$)${}_3$, which exhibits a crossover from short-range spin correlations to a disorder-driven RS-like state below $T^{\ast }\sim$15.8 K. Thermodynamic and microscopic measurements capture this crossover through a change in the power-law behavior of various observables, from $\sim T^{0.25}$ for $T>T^{\ast }$ to $\sim T^{-0.50}$ for $T<T^{\ast }$. Upon further cooling, a quasi-frozen state emerges near $T_{\mathrm{f}}=0.32$ K, likely associated with weakly coupled spin chains within the hyper-star spin network. Our results underscore the crucial role of orphan spins and weak residual interactions in stabilizing a disorder-driven quantum-disordered state in 3D.

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