Abstract
Quantum materials exhibiting magnetic frustration are connected to diverse phenomena, including high Tc superconductivity, topological order, and quantum spin liquids (QSLs). A QSL is a quantum phase (QP) related to a quantum-entangled fluid-like state of matter. Previous experiments on QSL candidate materials are usually interpreted in terms of a single QP, although theories indicate that many distinct QPs are closely competing in typical frustrated spin models. Here we report on combined temperature-dependent muon spin relaxation and specific heat measurements for the triangular-lattice QSL candidate material 1T-TaS2 that provide evidence for competing QPs. The measured properties are assigned to arrays of individual QSL layers within the layered charge density wave structure of 1T-TaS2 and their characteristic parameters can be interpreted as those of distinct Z2 QSL phases. The present results reveal that a QSL description can extend beyond the lowest temperatures, offering an additional perspective in the search for such materials.
Highlights
The idea of destabilizing magnetic order by quantum fluctuating resonating valence bonds (RVB) originated with Anderson in 19731
CDW regime support the existence of quantum spin liquid (QSL) layers within the layered structure
For region I, the most stable region that occurs at low temperature, it is found that both μSR and specific heat are consistent with the QC regime of a Z2 QSL model
Summary
The idea of destabilizing magnetic order by quantum fluctuating resonating valence bonds (RVB) originated with Anderson in 19731. Systems with frustrated interactions are susceptible to these effects and much work on highly frustrated systems and their quantum spin liquid (QSL) phases has followed. In parallel with extensive theoretical work[2,3,4], many candidate QSL materials have been proposed. For triangular lattices these include molecular[5,6,7,8] and inorganic[9,10,11] compounds. To date, little experimental effort has been devoted to testing for crossover between different topological phases in a QSL, or to exploring the nature of the fractionalized spinon excitations (bosons, fermions, or anyons)[12]. This report concerns 1T-TaS2, which is a layered compound with a series of charge-density-wave (CDW) instabilities terminating in a fully commensurate CDW phase (C-CDW)
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