Chiral spin-liquid-like state in pyrochlore iridate thin films

Xiaoran Liu (), Jong-Woo Kim, Yao Wang, Michael Terilli, Xun Jia, Mikhail Kareev, Shiyu Peng, Fangdi Wen, Tsung-Chi Wu, Huyongqing Chen, Wanzheng Hu, Mary H. Upton, Jungho Kim, Yongseong Choi, Daniel Haskel, Hongming Weng, Philip J. Ryan, Yue Cao, Yang Qi, Jiandong Guo and Jak Chakhalian
Additional contact information
Xiaoran Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jong-Woo Kim: Argonne National Laboratory
Yao Wang: Fudan University
Michael Terilli: Rutgers University
Xun Jia: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Mikhail Kareev: Rutgers University
Shiyu Peng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fangdi Wen: Rutgers University
Tsung-Chi Wu: Rutgers University
Huyongqing Chen: Boston University
Wanzheng Hu: Boston University
Mary H. Upton: Argonne National Laboratory
Jungho Kim: Argonne National Laboratory
Yongseong Choi: Argonne National Laboratory
Daniel Haskel: Argonne National Laboratory
Hongming Weng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Philip J. Ryan: Argonne National Laboratory
Yue Cao: Argonne National Laboratory
Yang Qi: Fudan University
Jiandong Guo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jak Chakhalian: Rutgers University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The pyrochlore iridates have become ideal platforms to unravel fascinating correlated and topological phenomena that stem from the intricate interplay among strong spin-orbit coupling, electronic correlations, lattice with geometric frustration, and itinerancy of the 5d electrons. The all-in-all-out antiferromagnetic state, commonly considered as the magnetic ground state, can be dramatically altered in reduced dimensionality, leading to exotic or hidden quantum states inaccessible in bulk. Here, by means of magnetotransport, resonant elastic and inelastic x-ray scattering experiments, we discover an emergent quantum disordered state in (111) Y2Ir2O7 thin films (thickness ≤30 nm) persisting down to 5 K, characterized by dispersionless magnetic excitations. The anomalous Hall effect observed below an onset temperature near 125 K corroborates the presence of chiral short-range spin configurations expressed in non-zero scalar spin chirality, breaking the macroscopic time-reversal symmetry. The origin of this chiral state is ascribed to the restoration of magnetic frustration on the pyrochlore lattice in lower dimensionality, where the competing exchange interactions together with enhanced quantum fluctuations suppress any long-range order and trigger spin-liquid-like behavior with degenerate ground-state manifold.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54655-7

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