Local and Bulk Measurements in Novel Magnetically Frustrated Materials

Abstract

Quantum spin liquids (QSL)’s have been one of the most hotly researched areas ofcondensed matter physics for the past decade. Yet, science has yet to unconditionally identify any one system as harboring a QSL state. This is because QSL’s are largely defined as systems whose electronic spins do not undergo a thermodynamic transition as T→0. Quantum spin liquids remain fully paramagnetic, including dynamical spin fluctuations, at T=0. As a result, distinguishing a QSL system from a conventionally disordered system remains an outstanding challenge. If a system spin freezes or magnetically orders, it cannot be a QSL. In this thesis I present published experiments I have performed on QSL candidate materials. By using muon spin rotation (μSR) and AC magnetic susceptibility I have evaluated the ground states of several candidates for the absence of long-range magnetic disorder and low-temperature spin-fluctuations. For the systems which order or spin-freeze, my research provided key knowledge to the field of frustrated magnetism. The systems I studied are as follows: The geometrically frustrated systems NaYbO2 and LiYbO2; the Kitaev honeycomb systems Cu2IrO3 and Ag3LiIr2O6; and the metallic kagome system KV3Sb5. Each of these systems brought new physics to the field of frustrated magnetism. NaYbO2 is a promising QSL candidate. LiYbO2 harbors an usual form of spiral incommensurate order that has a staggered transition. Cu2IrO3 has charge state disorder that results in a magnetically inhonogenious state. Ag3LiIr2O6 illustrates the role structural disorder plays in disguising long-range magnetic order. And finally, KV3Sb5 isn’t conventionally magnetic at all; our measurements ruled out ionic magnetism and uncovered a type-II superconductor. Our measurements on KV3Sb5 stimulated further research into KV3Sb5 and it’s unconventional electronic states.