Correlated Impurities and Intrinsic Spin-Liquid Physics in the Kagome Material Herbertsmithite

Published

August 18, 2016

Author(s)

Tian-Heng Han, M. R. Norman, J.-J. Wen, Jose Rodriguez Rivera, Joel Helton, Collin L. Broholm, Young S. Lee

Abstract

New low energy inelastic neutron scattering data on the kagome spin liquid ZnCu₃(OD)₆Cl₂ (Herbertsmithite) reveals diffuse spots near wavevectors (100) and 003/2) for energy transfers hw<0.8 meV (J/20). The momentum dependence differs significantly from the scattering at higher energies arising from the intrinsic kagome spins. We demonstrate that the scattered intensity is consistent with short-range correlations between Cu impurities on the triangular (Zn) intersites. Such a correlated impurity model is consistent with recent NMR data, and as we show, can quantitatively explain specific heat data as well. The inferred antiferromagnetic interactions can be motivated by assuming the Cu defects locally distort the lattice as in the pure Cu analogue, clinoatacamite. The correlated impurity picture advocated here gives credence to models of the low energy dynamic spin susceptibility based on a random bond Heisenberg model.

Citation

Physical Review B

Volume

94

Issue

6

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

Neutron Scattering, Magnetic materials, Spin Liquid, superconductivity.

Citation

Han, T. , Norman, M. , Wen, J. , Rodriguez Rivera, J. , Helton, J. , Broholm, C. and Lee, Y. (2016), Correlated Impurities and Intrinsic Spin-Liquid Physics in the Kagome Material Herbertsmithite, Physical Review B, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=919638 (Accessed October 7, 2025)