Thermal Hall Effect in a Phonon-Glass Ba_{3}CuSb_{2}O_{9}.

Abstract

A distinct thermal Hall signal is observed in a quantum spin liquid candidate Ba_{3}CuSb_{2}O_{9}. The transverse thermal conductivity shows a power-law temperature dependence below 50K, where a spin gap opens. We suggest that because of the very low longitudinal thermal conductivity and the thermal Hall signals, a phonon Hall effect is induced by strong phonon scattering of orphan Cu^{2+} spins formed in the random domains of the Cu^{2+}-Sb^{5+} dumbbells in Ba_{3}CuSb_{2}O_{9}.