Competition between static and dynamic magnetism in the Kitaev spin liquid material Cu<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>3</sub>.

ORAL

Abstract

Cu2IrO3 is a new honeycomb iridate without thermodynamic signatures of long-range order. Here, we use muon spin relaxation to uncover the magnetic ground state of Cu2IrO3. We find a two-component depolarization with slow and fast relaxation rates corresponding to distinct regions with dynamic and static magnetism, respectively. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and first principles calculations identify a mixed copper valence as the origin of this behavior. Our results suggest that a minority of Cu2+ ions nucleate regions of static magnetism whereas the majority of Cu+/Ir4+ on the honeycomb lattice give rise to a Kitaev spin liquid.

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Presenters

  • Eric Kenney

    • Physics, Boston College
    • Department of Physics, Boston College

Authors

  • Eric Kenney

    • Physics, Boston College
    • Department of Physics, Boston College

  • Carlo Segre

    • Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology

  • William Lafargue-Dit-Hauret

    • Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes

  • Oleg I. Lebedev

    • ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS, CRISMAT, Normandie Univ
    • Laboratorie CRISMAT, ENSICAEN-CNRS
    • Laboratoire CRISMAT, Ensicaen-CNRS

  • Mykola Abramchuk

    • Physics, Boston College
    • Department of Physics, Boston College
    • Dept. of Physics, Boston College
    • Boston College

  • Adam Berlie

    • Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
    • ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Science and Technology Facilities Council

  • Stephen P. Cottrell

    • Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
    • ISIS Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK.

  • Gediminas Simutis

    • Laboratory of Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute
    • Paul Scherrer Institute

  • Faranak Bahrami

    • Physics, Boston College
    • Department of Physics, Boston College

  • Natalia E. Mordvinova

    • Laboratorie CRISMAT, ENSICAEN-CNRS
    • Laboratoire CRISMAT, Ensicaen-CNRS

  • Jessica L McChesney

    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Gilberto F L Fabbris

    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Xavier Rocquefelte

    • Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes

  • Michael John Graf

    • Physics, Boston College
    • Department of Physics, Boston College

  • Fazel Fallah Tafti

    • Department of Physics, Boston College
    • Physics, Boston College
    • Dept. of Physics, Boston College
    • Boston College