Possible itinerant excitations and quantum spin state transitions in the effective spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet Na2BaCo(PO4)2

N. Li, Q. Huang, X. Y. Yue, W. J. Chu, Q. Chen, E. S. Choi, X. Zhao, H. D. Zhou () and X. F. Sun ()
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N. Li: University of Science and Technology of China
Q. Huang: University of Tennessee
X. Y. Yue: Anhui University
W. J. Chu: University of Science and Technology of China
Q. Chen: University of Tennessee
E. S. Choi: Florida State University
X. Zhao: University of Science and Technology of China
H. D. Zhou: University of Tennessee
X. F. Sun: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The most fascinating feature of certain two-dimensional (2D) gapless quantum spin liquid (QSL) is that their spinon excitations behave like the fermionic carriers of a paramagnetic metal. The spinon Fermi surface is then expected to produce a linear increase of the thermal conductivity with temperature that should manifest via a residual value (κ0/T) in the zero-temperature limit. However, this linear in T behavior has been reported for very few QSL candidates. Here, we studied the ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity of an effective spin-1/2 triangular QSL candidate Na2BaCo(PO4)2, which has an antiferromagnetic order at very low temperature (TN ~ 148 mK), and observed a finite κ0/T extrapolated from the data above TN. Moreover, while approaching zero temperature, it exhibits series of quantum spin state transitions with applied field along the c axis. These observations indicate that Na2BaCo(PO4)2 possibly behaves as a gapless QSL with itinerant spin excitations above TN and its strong quantum spin fluctuations persist below TN.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18041-3

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