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At least 217 records · Page 12

Spin-liquid behavior of the three-dimensional magnetic system Ba 3 NiIr 2 O 9 with S = 1

The quantum spin liquid (QSL) is an exotic phase of magnetic materials where the spins continue to fluctuate without any symmetry breaking down to zero temperature. Among the handful reports of QSL with spin S ≥ 1, examples with magnetic ions on a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic lattice are extremely rare since both larger spin and higher dimension tend to suppress quantum fluctuations. In this work, we offer a new strategy to achieve 3D QSL with high spin by utilizing two types of transition metal ions; both are magnetically active but located at crystallographically inequivalent positions. Furthermore, we design a 3D magnetic system Ba 3 NiIr 2 O 9 consisting of interconnected corner-shared NiO 6 octahedra and face-shared Ir 2 O 9 dimer, both having triangular arrangements in a-b plane. X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements confirm the presence of Ni 2+ (S = 1). Furthermore, our detailed thermodynamic and magnetic measurements reveal that this compound is a realization of gapless QSL state down to at least 100 mK. Ab initio calculations find a strong magnetic exchange between Ir and Ni sublattices and in-plane antiferromagnetic coupling between the dimers, resulting in dynamically fluctuating magnetic moments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Proton magnetic relaxation and internal rotations in tetramethylammonium cadmium chloride

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and relaxation studies of the proton spin-lattice relaxation time (PSLRT) and proton second moment (PSM) are reported. Tetramethylammonium cadmium chloride (TMCC) was selected as a diamagnetic member of the isomorphic series, and hence proton data relate directly to the motion of the tetramethylammonium ion in the absence of paramagnetic ions. In the model adopted, the correlation time for hindered motion of one of the methyl groups differs from that of the other three groups in the low-temperature phase below 104 K. PSLRT and PSM values agree closely with experimental data with this model. Crystallographic phase transitions in TMCC occur at 104 K and 119 K according to the PSLRT measurements. Dipolar interactions between adjacent protons account for the PSLR rates below 104 K.

Tsang, T.↗

New technique for single-scan T1 measurements using solid echoes

A simple technique for single-scan T1 measurements in solids is proposed and analyzed for single exponential spin-lattice relaxation. In this technique, the direct spin heating caused by the sampling process is significantly reduced in comparison with conventional techniques by utilizing the 'solid echo' to refocus the magnetization. The applicability of this technique to both the solid and liquid phases is demonstrated.

Burum, D. P.↗

Quasi-one-dimensional uniform spin- 1 2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet KNaCuP 2 O 7 probed by P 31 and Na 23 NMR

Here we present the structural and magnetic properties of KNaCuP 2 O 7 investigated via x-ray diffraction, magnetization, specific heat, and P 31 and Na 23 NMR measurements and complementary electronic structure calculations. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and P 31 NMR shift could be modeled very well by the uniform spin- 1 2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain model with a nearest-neighbor interaction J / k B ≃ 58.7 K . The corresponding mapping using first-principles electronic structure calculations leads to J DFT / k B ≃ 59 K with negligibly small interchain couplings, further confirming that the system is indeed a one-dimensional uniform spin- 1 2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet. The diverging trend of NMR spin-lattice relaxation rates ( 1 / T 1 31 and 1 / T 1 23 ) implies the onset of a magnetic long-range ordering at around T N ≃ 1 K . From the value of T N , the average interchain coupling is estimated to be J ' / k B ≃ 0.28 K . Moreover, the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rates show the dominant contributions from uniform ( q = 0 ) and staggered ( q = ± π / a ) spin fluctuations in the high- and low-temperature regimes, respectively, mimicking one-dimensionality of the spin lattice. We have also demonstrated that 1 / T 1 31 in high temperatures varies linearly with 1 / H , reflecting the effect of spin diffusion on the dynamic susceptibility. The temperature-dependent unit cell volume could be described well using the Debye approximation with a Debye temperature of Θ D ≃ 294 K , consistent with the heat capacity data.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnetic properties of the frustrated spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ capped-kagome antiferromagnet (CsBr)Cu 5 V 2 O 10

Here, the structural and magnetic properties of a spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ averievite (CsBr)⁢Cu 5⁢ V 2 ⁢O 10 are investigated by means of temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction, magnetization, heat capacity, and 51 V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. The crystal structure (trigonal, $P\bar{3}$) features a frustrated capped-kagome lattice of the magnetic Cu 2+ ions. Magnetic susceptibility analysis indicates a large Curie-Weiss temperature of $\theta$ CW ≃ -175K. Heat capacity signals the onset of a magnetic long-range-order (LRO) at T N ≃21.5K at zero magnetic field due to the presence of significant inter-planer coupling in this system. The magnetic LRO below 27 K is further evident from the drastic change in the 51 V NMR signal intensity and rapid enhancement in the 51 V spin-lattice relaxation rate in a magnetic field of 6.3 T. The frustration index ƒ=|⁢$\theta$ CW ⁢|/⁢T N ≃ 8 ascertains strong magnetic frustration in this compound. From the high-temperature value of the 51 V NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate, the leading antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between the Cu 2+ ions is calculated to be J/k B ≃ 136K.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High-Field One-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional 27Al Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of ?-, d-, and ?-Al2O3 Dominated Aluminum Oxides: Toward Understanding the Al Sites in ?-Al2O3

Herein, a detailed analysis was carried out using high-field (19.9 T) 27Al magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on three specially prepared aluminum oxide samples where the ?-, d-, and ?-Al2O3 phases are dominantly expressed through careful control of the synthesis conditions. Specifically, two-dimensional (2D) multiquantum (MQ) MAS 27Al was used to obtain high spectral resolution, which provided a guide for analyzing quantitative 1D 27Al NMR spectra. Six aluminum sites were resolved in the 2D MQ MAS NMR spectra, and seven aluminum sites were required to fit the 1D spectra. A set of octahedral and tetrahedral peaks with well-defined quadrupolar line shapes was observed in the ?-phase dominant sample and was unambiguously assigned to the ?-Al2O3 phase. The distinct line shapes related to the ?-Al2O3 phase provided an opportunity for effectively deconvoluting the more complex spectrum obtained from the d-Al2O3 dominant sample, allowing the peaks/quadrupolar parameters related to the d-Al2O3 phase to be extracted. The results show that the d-Al2O3 phase contains three distinct AlO sites and three distinct AlT sites. This detailed Al site structural information offers a powerful way of analyzing the most complex ?-Al2O3 spectrum. It is found that the ?-Al2O3 phase consists of Al sites with local structures similar to those found in the d-Al2O3 and ?-Al2O3 phases albeit with less ordering. Spin–lattice relaxation time measurement further confirms the disordering of the lattice. Collectively, this study uniquely assigns 27Al features in transition aluminas, offering a simplified method to quantify complex mixtures of aluminum sites in transition alumina samples.

Xu, Suochang↗

Muon motion in titanium hydride

Motional narrowing of the transverse-field muon spin rotation signal was observed in gamma-TiH(x) for x = 1.83, 1.97, and 1.99. An analysis of the data for TiH1.99 near room temperature indicates that the mechanism responsible for the motion of the muon out of the octahedral site is thermally activated diffusion with an attempt frequency comparable to the optical vibrations of the lattice. Monte Carlo calculations to simulate the effect of muon and proton motion upon the muon field-correlation time were used to interpret the motional narrowing in TiH1.97 near 500 K. The interpretation is dependent upon whether the Bloembergen, Purcell, and Pound (BPP) theory or an independent spin-pair relaxation model is used to obtain the vacancy jump rate from proton NMR T1 measurements. Use of BPP theory shows that the field-correction time can be obtained if the rate of motion of the muon with respect to the rate of the motion for the protons is decreased. An independent spin-pair relaxation model indicates that the field-correlation time can be obtained if the rate of motion for the nearest-neighbor protons is decreased.

Kempton, J. R.↗

Temperature Dependence of Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance and the Observation of Metal–Ligand Covalency in Actinide Complexes: 35 Cl in Cs 2 UO 2 Cl 4

We report a study of the temperature dependence of 35 Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) transition energies and spin–lattice relaxation times (T 1 ) for 235 U-depleted dicesium uranyl tetrachloride (Cs 2 UO 2 Cl 4 ) aimed at elucidating electronic interactions between the uranium center and atoms in the equatorial plane of the UO 2 2+ ion. The transition frequency decreases slowly with temperature below 75 K and with a more rapid linear dependence above this temperature. The spin–lattice relaxation time becomes shorter with temperature, and as temperatures increase, the T 1 decrease becomes nearly quadratic. The observed trends are reproduced by a model that assumes phonon-induced fluctuations of the electric field gradient tensor and partial electron delocalization from Cl to U. The fit of the theoretical model to experimental data allows a Debye temperature of 96 K to be estimated. Finally, the generalization of this approach to investigations of covalency in actinide–ligand bonding is examined.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Long-lived electronic spin qubits in single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract Electron spins in solid-state systems offer the promise of spin-based information processing devices. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), an all-carbon one-dimensional material whose spin-free environment and weak spin-orbit coupling promise long spin coherence times, offer a diverse degree of freedom for extended range of functionality not available to bulk systems. A key requirement limiting spin qubit implementation in SWCNTs is disciplined confinement of isolated spins. Here, we report the creation of highly confined electron spins in SWCNTs via a bottom-up approach. The record long coherence time of 8.2 µs and spin-lattice relaxation time of 13 ms of these electronic spin qubits allow demonstration of quantum control operation manifested as Rabi oscillation. Investigation of the decoherence mechanism reveals an intrinsic coherence time of tens of milliseconds. These findings evident that combining molecular approaches with inorganic crystalline systems provides a powerful route for reproducible and scalable quantum materials suitable for qubit applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Vibronic Relaxation Pathways in Molecular Spin Qubit Na 9 [Ho(W 5 O 18 ) 2 ]·35H 2 O under Pressure

In order to explore how spectral sparsity and vibronic decoherence pathways can be controlled in a model qubit system with atomic clock transitions, we combined diamond anvil cell techniques with synchrotron-based far infrared spectroscopy and first-principles calculations to reveal the vibrational response of Na 9 [Ho(W 5 O 18 ) 2 ]·35H 2 O under compression. Because the hole in the phonon density of states acts to reduce the overlap between the phonons and f manifold excitations in this system, we postulated that pressure might move the HoO 4 rocking, bending, and asymmetric stretching modes that couple with the M J = ±5, ±2, and ±7 levels out of resonance, reducing their interactions and minimizing decoherence processes, while a potentially beneficial strategy for some molecular qubits, pressure slightly hardens the phonons in Na 9 [Ho(W 5 O 18 ) 2 ]·35H 2 O and systematically fills in the transparency window in the phonon response. The net result is that the vibrational spectrum becomes less sparse and the overlap with the various M J levels of the Ho 3+ ion actually increases. These findings suggest that negative pressure, achieved using chemical means or elongational strain, could further open the transparency window in this rare earth-containing spin qubit system, thus paving the way for the use of device surfaces and interface elongational/compressive strains to better manage decoherence pathways.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Static magnetic order with strong quantum fluctuations in spin-1/2 honeycomb magnet Na 2 Co 2 TeO 6

Kitaev interactions, arising from the interplay of frustration and bond anisotropy, can lead to strong quantum fluctuations and, in an ideal case, to a quantum-spin-liquid state. However, in many nonideal materials, spurious non-Kitaev interactions typically promote a zigzag antiferromagnetic order in the d-orbital transition-metal compounds. Here, by combining neutron scattering with muon-spin rotation and relaxation techniques, we provide mechanism insights into the exotic properties of Na 2 Co 2 TeO 6 , a candidate material of the Kitaev model. Below T N , the zero-field muon-spin relaxation rate becomes almost constant (~0.45 μs –1 ). We attribute this temperature-independent relaxation rate to the strong quantum fluctuations, as well as to the frustrated Kitaev interactions. As the magnetic field increases, neutron scattering data indicate a broader spin-wave excitation at the K-point. Therefore, quantum fluctuations seem not only robust but are even enhanced by the applied magnetic field. Our findings provide valuable hints for understanding the onset of the quantum-spin-liquid state in Kitaev materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nodeless superconductivity in the noncentrosymmetric compound ThIrSi

The superconductor ThIrSi, with Tc=6.5K, is expected to show unusual features in view of its noncentrosymmetric structure and the presence of heavy elements featuring a sizable spin-orbit coupling. Here, we report a comprehensive study of its electronic properties by means of magnetization, muon-spin rotation and relaxation (μ⁢SR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. Both the superfluid density ρ sc ⁡(T) (determined via transverse-field μ⁢SR) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate T–1 1⁡(T) (determined via NMR) suggest a nodeless superconductivity. Furthermore, the absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below T c , as evinced from zero-field μ⁢SR measurements, indicates a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of ThIrSi. Finally, temperature-dependent upper critical fields as well as field-dependent superconducting muon-spin relaxations suggest the presence of multiple superconducting gaps in ThIrSi.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Reporter-Spin-Assisted T 1 Relaxometry

A single-spin quantum sensor can quantitatively detect and image fluctuating electromagnetic fields via their effect on the sensor spin’s relaxation time, thus revealing important information about the target solid-state or molecular structures. However, the sensitivity and spatial resolution of spin relaxometry are often limited by the distance between the sensor and target. Here, we propose an alternative approach that leverages an auxiliary reporter spin in conjunction with a single-spin sensor, a diamond nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) center. We show that this approach can realize a 100-fold measurement sensitivity improvement for realistic working conditions and we experimentally verify the proposed method using a single shallow N-V center. Our work opens up a broad path of inquiry into a range of possible spin systems that can serve as relaxation sensors without the need for optical initialization and readout capabilities.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Landau–Zener Transition Enhanced Quantum Sensing in Spin Defects of Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Negatively charged boron vacancies (V $^{–}_{B}$ ) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) comprise a promising quantum sensing platform, optically addressable at room temperature and transferable onto samples. However, broad hyperfine-split spin transitions of the ensemble pose challenges for quantum sensing with conventional resonant excitation due to limited spectral coverage. While V $^{–}_{B}$ in isotopically enriched hBN using 10 B and 15 N isotopes (h 10 B 15 N) exhibits sharper spectral features, significant inhomogeneous broadening persists. We show that, implemented via frequency modulation on an FPGA, a frequency-ramped microwave pulse achieves around 4-fold greater |0⟩→|−1⟩ spin-state population transfer and thus contrast than resonant microwave excitation and thus 16-fold shorter measurement time for spin relaxation-based quantum sensing. Quantum dynamics simulations reveal that an effective two-state Landau–Zener model captures the complex relationship between population inversion and pulse length with relaxations incorporated. Our approach is robust and valuable for quantum relaxometry with spin defects in hBN, especially in noisy environments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of superconducting and normal state Nb 3 Sn

The superconductor Nb3Sn has important applications for construction of very high-field superconducting magnets. In this work we investigate its microscopic electronic structure with 93 Nb nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The high-quality Nb 3 Sn powder sample was studied in both 3.2 T and 7 T magnetic fields in the temperature range from 4 K to 300 K. From measurement of the spectrum and its theoretical analysis, we find evidence for anisotropy despite its cubic crystal structure. Magnetic alignment of the powder grains in the superconducting state was also observed. The Knight shift and spin-lattice relaxation rate, T 1 -1 , were measured and the latter compared with BCS theory for the energy gap Δ(0) = 2.7 ± 0.3k B T c at 3.2 T and Δ(0) = 2.33 ± 0.07 k B T c at 7 T, indicating suppression of the order parameter by magnetic field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Iron incorporation in synthetic precipitated calcium silicate hydrates

Effect of Fe{sup 3+} on the precipitation of synthetic calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) under controlled conditions has been evaluated. Using extremely basic either initial calcium nitrate or sodium silicate solutions (pH > 11), incipient formation of ferrihydrite in both solutions was observed. In this case both C-S-H and iron-containing siliceous hydrogarnet are formed. For pH < 11, ferrihydrite was absent. Only C-S-H is formed. The presence of magnetically dilute Fe{sup 3+} in the C-S-H was shown by EPR and the atomic Fe/Si ratio of the C-S-H phase was shown to be between 0.01% and 0.1% by measuring and modelling the {sup 29}Si spin-lattice relaxation in NMR experiments. A uniform distribution of Fe{sup 3+} when C-S-H precipitates in the absence of initial ferrihydrite is obtained. When initial ferrihydrite is present, a non-uniform distribution of Fe{sup 3+} is found and the concentration of Fe{sup 3+} in the C-S-H is merely 3% of the overall iron concentration, suggesting the initial formation of ferrihydrite restricts the incorporation of iron into C-S-H.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗