Thermal and magnetoelastic properties of α-RuCl<sub>3</sub> in the field-induced low temperature states

ORAL

Abstract

Here we discuss the implications that new magnetocaloric, thermal expansion and magnetostriction data of α-RuCl3 single crystals have on its temperature-field phase diagram and uncover the magnetic-field dependence of an apparent energy gap Δ(H), extracted from thermal expansion measurements, that evolves when the low temperature antiferromagnetic order is suppressed. We show that, depending on how the thermal expansion data is modeled, Δ(H) can follow a cubic field dependence and remain finite at zero field, consistent with the pure Kitaev model. Our quasi-isothermal magnetocaloric effect data provides, below 1 K, unambiguous evidence for dissipative phenomena at the critical field, smoking gun for a first order phase transition. On the other hand, our results show little support for a phase transition from a quantum spin liquid to a polarized paramagnetic state above the critical field. The results are discussed in the context of possible quantum critical and QSL behavior in α-RuCl3.

*A portion of this work was performed at the NHMFL, which is supported by the NSF DMR-1644779 and the State of Florida. We acknowledge support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s EPiQS Initiative, Grant GBMF9069 and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science.

–

Presenters

  • Rico Schoenemann

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

Authors

  • Rico Schoenemann

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Shusaku Imajo

    • University of Tokyo

  • Franziska Weickert

    • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Jiaqiang Yan

    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • University of Tennessee
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Materials Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Materials Science and Technology Division

  • David George Mandrus

    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Labratory
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville
    • Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
    • Oakridge National Laboratory
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • University of Tennessee - Knoxville
    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Department of Physics, University of Tennessee Knoxville
    • Materials Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Materials Science and Technology Division
    • Department of Materials Science, The University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • Yasumasa Takano

    • Department of Physics, University of Florida
    • University of Florida
    • Physics, University of Florida

  • Eric Brosha

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Priscila Rosa

    • Los Alamos National Lab
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Quantum Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.

  • Stephen E Nagler

    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oakridge National Laboratory
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Koichi Kindo

    • University of Tokyo
    • Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo

  • Marcelo Jaime

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab
    • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), Los Alamos