Continuum of magnetic excitations in the Kitaev honeycomb iridate D3LiIr2O6

Abstract Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements of powder D3(7Li)(193Ir)2O6 reveal low energy magnetic excitations with a scattering cross-section that is broad in ∣Q∣ and energy transfer. The magnetic nature of the excitation spectrum is demonstrated by longitudinally polarized neutron sca...

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Main Authors: Thomas Halloran, Yishu Wang, K. W. Plumb, M. B. Stone, Barry Winn, M. K. Graves-Brook, J. A. Rodriguez-Rivera, Yiming Qiu, Prashant Chauhan, Johannes Knolle, Roderich Moessner, N. P. Armitage, Tomohiro Takayama, Hidenori Takagi, Collin Broholm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:npj Quantum Materials
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-025-00748-5
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Summary:Abstract Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements of powder D3(7Li)(193Ir)2O6 reveal low energy magnetic excitations with a scattering cross-section that is broad in ∣Q∣ and energy transfer. The magnetic nature of the excitation spectrum is demonstrated by longitudinally polarized neutron scattering. The total magnetic moment of 1.8(4)μ B /Ir inferred from the observed magnetic scattering cross-section is consistent with the effective moment inferred from magnetic susceptibility data and expectations for the J eff = 1/2 single ion state. The rise in the dynamic correlation function $${\mathcal{S}}(Q,\omega )$$ S ( Q , ω ) for ℏ ω < 5 meV can be described by a simple model assuming nearest-neighbor anisotropic spin exchange, such as that found in the Kitaev model. Exchange disorder associated with the D site likely plays an important role in stabilizing the low T quantum fluctuating state1,2.
ISSN:2397-4648