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Title: Strongly correlated quantum spin liquid in herbertsmithite

Journal Article · · Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics
 [1];  [2]
  1. Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Komi Science Center (Russian Federation)
  2. Russian Research Centre Kurchatov Institute (Russian Federation)

Strongly correlated Fermi systems are among the most intriguing and fundamental systems in physics. We show that the herbertsmithite ZnCu{sub 3}(OH){sub 6}Cl{sub 2} can be regarded as a new type of strongly correlated electrical insulator that possesses properties of heavy-fermion metals with one exception: it resists the flow of electric charge. We demonstrate that herbertsmithite's low-temperature properties are defined by a strongly correlated quantum spin liquid made with hypothetic particles such as fermionic spinons that carry spin 1/2 and no charge. Our calculations of its thermodynamic and relaxation properties are in good agreement with recent experimental facts and allow us to reveal their scaling behavior, which strongly resembles that observed in heavy-fermion metals. Analysis of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility of strongly correlated Fermi systems suggests that there exist at least two types of its scaling.

OSTI ID:
22126473
Journal Information:
Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Vol. 116, Issue 5; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7761
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English