Successive Phase Transitions and Extended Spin-Excitation Continuum in the S=1⁄2 Triangular-Lattice Antiferromagnet Ba3CoSb2)9

Published

December 26, 2012

Author(s)

H. D. Zhou, Cenke Xu, A. M. Hallas, H. J. Silverstein, C. R. Wiebe, I. Umegaki, J. Q. Yan, T. P. Murphy, J.-H. Park, Yiming Qiu, John R. Copley, Jason S. Gardner, Y. Takano

Abstract

Using magnetic, thermal and neutron measurements on single-crystal samples, we show that Ba₃CoSb₂O₉ is a spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet with easy-axis anisotropy and two magnetic phase transitions bracketing an intermediate up-up-down phase in magnetic field applied along the c axis. A pronounced, extensive neutron-scattering continuum above spin-wave excitations, observed below T_N, implies that the system is in close proximity to one of two spin-liquid states that have been predicted for a 2D triangular lattice.

Citation

Physical Review Letters

Volume

109

Issue

26

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

triangular antiferromagnet, neutron scattering

Citation

Zhou, H. , Xu, C. , Hallas, A. , Silverstein, H. , Wiebe, C. , Umegaki, I. , Yan, J. , Murphy, T. , Park, J. , Qiu, Y. , Copley, J. , Gardner, J. and Takano, Y. (2012), Successive Phase Transitions and Extended Spin-Excitation Continuum in the S=1⁄2 Triangular-Lattice Antiferromagnet Ba₃CoSb₂)₉, Physical Review Letters, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=911781 (Accessed October 22, 2025)