Novel magnetic ordering in LiYbO2 probed by muon spin relaxation

Abstract

The stretched diamond lattice material LiYbO2 has recently been reported to exhibit two magnetic transitions ($T_{N1} = 1.1 K$, $T_{N2} = 0.45 K$) via specific heat, magnetization, and neutron scattering measurements [Bordelon et al., Phys. Rev. B 103, 014420 (2021)]. Here we report complementary magnetic measurements down to T = 0.28 K via the local probe technique of muon spin relaxation. While we observe a rapid increase in the zero-field muon depolarization rate at $T_{N1}$, we do not observe any spontaneous muon precession for $T < T_{N1}$, which is typically associated with long-range magnetic ordering. The depolarization rate in the ordered state shows a surprising sensitivity to magnetic fields applied along the initial spin polarization direction. Using a simple one-dimensional model, we show that these results are consistent with the unusual random-phase bipartite incommensurate magnetic structure proposed by Bordelon et al. for the intermediate temperature range $T_{N2} < T < T_{N1}$. We also find evidence for temperature-independent magnetic fluctuations persisting to our lowest temperatures, but no obvious signature of the transition or spontaneous muon precession at and below TN2, respectively. This result is suggestive of quantum dynamics within a highly degenerate ground state.