Emergence of Spiral Spin Liquid on Corrugated Honeycomb Lattice

ORAL

Abstract

CaMn2P2 can be understood in terms of a frustrated J1-J2-J3 Heisenberg model on a corrugated honeycomb magnetic lattice. Previous studies show that below the Neel temperature (TN), the system forms a cycloidal 6×6 magnetic unit cell that conforms with various magnetic space groups. Here, we present single-crystal neutron-diffraction studies in large reciprocal space volumes to confirm the cycloidal magnetic structure and unravel additional characteristics. We find evidence of three magnetic domains. The analysis also narrows the possible magnetic space groups. At TN, the insulator exhibits a strong first-order phase transition. Above TN, the spin structure transforms into a spiral spin liquid phase manifested by a continuous ring of scattering with degenerate wavevectors corresponding to a collection of short-range spiral spin configurations. These degenerate states emerge as thermal fluctuations reduce the effective J3 interaction.

*The work at Ames National Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC02-07CH1135 by Iowa State University.

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Presenters

  • Farhan Islam

    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University

Authors

  • Farhan Islam

    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University

  • Thais Victa Trevisan

    • Ames Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley

  • Santanu Pakhira

    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University

  • Zachary Morgan

    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Arianna Minelli

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Feng Ye

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • David C Johnston

    • Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University
    • Ames National Laboratory & Iowa State University
    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University

  • Robert J McQueeney

    • Ames National Laboratory/Iowa State University
    • Iowa State University
    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University

  • Peter P Orth

    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University
    • Iowa State University
    • Ames National Laboratory / Iowa State University

  • David C Johnston

    • Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University
    • Ames National Laboratory & Iowa State University
    • Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University