Negative-vector-chirality 120∘ spin structure in the defect- and distortion-free quantum kagome antiferromagnet YCu3(OH)6Cl3

Zorko, A.; Pregelj, M.; Gomilšek, M.; Klanjšek, M.; Zaharko, O.; Sun, W.; Mi, J.-X.

doi:10.1103/physrevb.100.144420

Negative-vector-chirality 120∘ spin structure in the defect- and distortion-free quantum kagome antiferromagnet YCu3(OH)6Cl3

Zorko, A.; Pregelj, M.; Gomilšek, M.; Klanjšek, M.; Zaharko, O.; Sun, W.; Mi, J.-X.

Authors

A. Zorko

M. Pregelj

M. Gomilšek

M. Klanjšek

O. Zaharko

W. Sun

J.-X. Mi

Abstract

The magnetic ground state of the ideal quantum kagome antiferromagnet (QKA) has been a longstanding puzzle, mainly because perturbations to the nearest-neighbor isotropic Heisenberg Hamiltonian can lead to various fundamentally different ground states. Here we investigate a recently synthesized QKA representative YCu3(OH)6Cl3, where perturbations commonly present in real materials, like lattice distortion and intersite ion mixing, are absent. Nevertheless, this compound enters a long-range magnetically ordered state below TN = 15 K. Our powder neutron diffraction experiment reveals that its magnetic structure corresponds to a coplanar 120 state with negative vector spin chirality. The ordered magnetic moments are suppressed to 0.42(2)μB, which is consistent with the previously detected spin dynamics persisting to the lowest experimentally accessible temperatures. This indicates either a coexistence of magnetic order and disorder or the presence of strong quantum fluctuations in the ground state of YCu3(OH)6Cl3.

Citation

Zorko, A., Pregelj, M., Gomilšek, M., Klanjšek, M., Zaharko, O., Sun, W., & Mi, J. (2019). Negative-vector-chirality 120∘ spin structure in the defect- and distortion-free quantum kagome antiferromagnet YCu3(OH)6Cl3. Physical Review B, 100(14), Article 144420. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.100.144420

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	Oct 14, 2019
Publication Date	Oct 1, 2019
Deposit Date	Oct 25, 2019
Publicly Available Date	Oct 25, 2019
Journal	Physical Review B
Print ISSN	2469-9950
Electronic ISSN	2469-9969
Publisher	American Physical Society
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	100
Issue	14
Article Number	144420
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.100.144420

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Copyright Statement
Zorko, A., Pregelj, M., Gomilšek, M., Klanjšek, M., Zaharko, O., Sun, W. & Mi, J.-X. (2019). Negative-vector-chirality 120∘ spin structure in the defect- and distortion-free quantum kagome antiferromagnet YCu3(OH)6Cl3. Physical Review B 100(14): 144420.