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Title: Site-specific structure at multiple length scales in kagome quantum spin liquid candidates

Journal Article · · Physical Review Materials
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
  2. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
  3. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  4. National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
  5. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
  6. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source (ALS)

Realizing a quantum spin liquid (QSL) ground state in a real material is a leading issue in condensed matter physics research. In this pursuit, it is crucial to fully characterize the structure and influence of defects, as these can significantly affect the fragile QSL physics. In this work, we perform a variety of cutting-edge synchrotron x-ray scattering and spectroscopy techniques, and we advance new methodologies for site-specific diffraction and L-edge Zn absorption spectroscopy. The experimental results along with our first-principles calculations address outstanding questions about the local and long-range structures of the two leading kagome QSL candidates, Zn-substituted barlowite Cu3ZnxCu1-x(OH)6FBr and herbertsmithite Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2. On all length scales probed, there is no evidence that Zn substitutes onto the kagome layers, thereby preserving the QSL physics of the kagome lattice. Our calculations show that antisite disorder is not energetically favorable and is even less favorable in Zn-barlowite compared to herbertsmithite. Site-specific x-ray diffraction measurements of Zn-barlowite reveal that Cu2+ and Zn2+ selectively occupy distinct interlayer sites, in contrast to herbertsmithite. Using the first measured Zn L-edge inelastic x-ray absorption spectra combined with calculations, we discover a systematic correlation between the loss of inversion symmetry from pseudo-octahedral (herbertsmithite) to trigonal prismatic coordination (Zn-barlowite) with the emergence of a new peak. Overall, our measurements suggest that Zn-barlowite has structural advantages over herbertsmithite that make its magnetic properties closer to an ideal QSL candidate: its kagome layers are highly resistant to nonmagnetic defects while the interlayers can accommodate a higher amount of Zn substitution.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source (ALS) and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOD; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; AC02-76SF00515; AC02-06CH11357; NSF/CHE-1834750; ECCS-2026822
OSTI ID:
1762232
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1755517; OSTI ID: 1779169
Journal Information:
Physical Review Materials, Vol. 4, Issue 12; ISSN 2475-9953
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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