Nature Communications (Aug 2021)

Survival of itinerant excitations and quantum spin state transitions in YbMgGaO4 with chemical disorder

  • X. Rao,
  • G. Hussain,
  • Q. Huang,
  • W. J. Chu,
  • N. Li,
  • X. Zhao,
  • Z. Dun,
  • E. S. Choi,
  • T. Asaba,
  • L. Chen,
  • L. Li,
  • X. Y. Yue,
  • N. N. Wang,
  • J.-G. Cheng,
  • Y. H. Gao,
  • Y. Shen,
  • J. Zhao,
  • G. Chen,
  • H. D. Zhou,
  • X. F. Sun

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25247-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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It remains an open question as to whether the quantum spin liquid state survives material disorder, or is replaced by some spin-liquid like state. Here, Rao et al succeed in resolving a resolving a κ 0/T residual in the thermal conductivity of YbMgGaO4 strongly suggesting the survival of the quantum spin liquid state.