Possible quadrupolar nematic phase in the frustrated spin chain LiCuSbO4: An NMR investigation

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Marko Bosiočić; MBZ: 326052
• Author: F. Bert
• Author: S. E. Dutton
• Author: R. J Cava
• Author: P. J. Baker
• Author: Miroslav Požek; MBZ: 160426
• Author: P. Mendels
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Physics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Physics

Abstract (english)

The frustrated one-dimensional quantum magnet LiCuSbO4 is a rare realization of the J1−J2 spin chain model with an easily accessible saturation field, formerly estimated at 12 T. Exotic multipolar nematic phases were theoretically predicted in such compounds just below the saturation field, but without unambiguous experimental observation so far. In this paper we present extensive experimental research on the compound in a wide temperature (30 mK to 300 K) and field (0–13.3 T) range by muon spin rotation (μSR), 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and magnetic susceptibility (SQUID). μSR experiments in zero magnetic field demonstrate the absence of long-range 3D ordering down to 30 mK. Together with former heat capacity data [Dutton et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 187206 (2012)], magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest a short-range-correlated vector chiral phase in the field range 0–4 T. At the intermediate-field values (5–12 T), the system enters a 3D-ordered spin density wave phase with 0.75μB per copper site at lowest temperatures (125 mK), estimated by NMR. At still higher field, the magnetization is found to be saturated above 13 T where the spin lattice T−11 relaxation reveals a spin gap estimated at 3.2(2) K. We narrow down the possibility of observing a multipolar nematic phase to the range 12.5–13 T.

• Keywords (english): Frustrated magnetism; 1-dimensional spin chains; Magnetization measurements; Muon spin relaxation & rotation; Nuclear magnetic resonance
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Physical Review B
• Numbering: vol. 96, no. 22, 224424
• p-ISSN: 2469-9950
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.224424
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:479777
• Publication: 2017
• Project: Number: IP-2013-11-2729; Title (croatian): Lokalna proba i mezoskopska dinamika u novim fazama jako koreliranih elektronskih sustava; Acronym: LOMEDY; Leader: Miroslav Požek; Jurisdiction: Croatia; Funding stream: IP
• Document URL: https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.224424
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: © 2017 American Physical Society. Received 15 October 2017; revised manuscript received 5 December 2017; published 20 December 2017.
• Created on: 2020-02-27 20:02:04