Non-Analytic Magnetic Response and Intrinsic Ferromagnetic Clusters in a Dirac Spin Liquid Candidate

• Main Authors: Shivaram, B. S, Prestigiacomo, J, Xu, Aini, Zeng, Zhenyuan, Ford, Trevor D, Kimchi, Itamar, Li, Shiliang, Lee, Patrick A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 19.01.2024
• Subjects: Physics - Materials Science; Physics - Strongly Correlated Electrons
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2401.10888

Finding distinct signatures of a quantum spin liquid (QSL) is an ongoing quest in condensed matter physics, invariably complicated by the presence of disorder in real materials. In this regard the 2D Kagome system YCu$_3$(OH)$_6$[(Cl$_x$Br$_{(1-x)}$)$_{3-y}$(OH)$_y$] (YCOB-Cl), where the vast mismatch in size of Y and Cu avoids subsitutional disorder, otherwise present in kagome materials, has emerged as a favorable candidate. In crystals of this system, with $x<$ 0.4 and no long range order, we report an unusual field dependent magnetization $M(B)$, where $M/B$ changes linearly with $|B|$, the absolute value of the field, in contrast to the expected quadratic behavior. Model calculations with a distribution of ferromagnetic (FM) clusters faithfully capture observed features suggesting such clusters to be intrinsic to real QSL materials. YCOB-Cl has a field enhanced $T^2$ heat capacity as expected for a Dirac QSL but lacks a linear $T$ behavior in the spin susceptibility. By demonstrating that FM clusters dominate the contribution to the susceptibility but not the heat capacity, our work paves the way towards reconciling the apparent inconsistency with a Dirac QSL.