Magnetic Field Induced Quantum Spin Liquid in the Two Coupled Trillium Lattices of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">K</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>Ni</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow><mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>SO</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>4</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math>
Ivica Živković, Virgile Favre, C. Salazar Mejía, Harald O. Jeschke, Arnaud Magrez, Bhupen Dabholkar, Vincent Noculak, R. S. Freitas, Minki Jeong, Nagabhushan G. Hegde, Luc Testa, P. Babkevich, Yixi Su, Pascal Manuel, H. Luetkens, C. Baines, Peter J. Baker, Jochen Wosnitza, O. Zaharko, Yasir Iqbal, Johannes Reuther, H. M. Rønnow
Abstract
Quantum spin liquids are exotic states of matter that form when strongly frustrated magnetic interactions induce a highly entangled quantum paramagnet far below the energy scale of the magnetic interactions. Three-dimensional cases are especially challenging due to the significant reduction of the influence of quantum fluctuations. Here, we report the magnetic characterization of ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}({\mathrm{SO}}_{4}{)}_{3}$ forming a three-dimensional network of ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{2+}$ spins. Using density functional theory calculations, we show that this network consists of two interconnected spin-1 trillium lattices. In the absence of a magnetic field, magnetization, specific heat, neutron scattering, and muon spin relaxation experiments demonstrate a highly correlated and dynamic state, coexisting with a peculiar, very small static component exhibiting a strongly renormalized moment. A magnetic field $B\ensuremath{\gtrsim}4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}$ diminishes the ordered component and drives the system into a pure quantum spin liquid state. This shows that a system of interconnected $S=1$ trillium lattices exhibits a significantly elevated level of geometrical frustration.