Structural transition and magnetic anisotropy in <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>α</mml:mi><mml:mtext>−</mml:mtext><mml:msub><mml:mi>RuCl</mml:mi><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math>

Abstract

$\ensuremath{\alpha}$-RuCl${}_{3}$ is a candidate for realizing the Kitaev quantum spin liquid state. Despite extensive research efforts, its crystal structure at temperatures relevant to studying Kitaev physics has been controversial. Here, the authors examine a single crystal with minimal twinning and stacking faults, allowing them to unambiguously determine the symmetry change across the structural phase transition. They find that the three-fold rotational symmetry of the honeycomb plane is restored in the low-temperature phase with symmetry group $R\overline{3}$, although this symmetry is explicitly broken in the room-temperature $C2/m$ structure.

Topics & Concepts