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Competing interactions in frustrated magnets can give rise to highly degenerate ground states from which correlated liquid-like states of matter often emerge. The scaling of this degeneracy influences the ultimate ground state, with extensive degeneracies potentially yielding quantum spin liquids, while sub-extensive or smaller degeneracies yield static orders. A longstanding problem is to understand how ordered states precipitate from this degenerate manifold and what echoes of the degeneracy survive ordering. Here, we use neutron scattering to experimentally demonstrate a new "nodal line" spin liquid, where spins collectively fluctuate within a sub-extensive manifold spanning one-dimensional lines in reciprocal space. Realized in the spin-orbit coupled, face-centered cubic iridate K$_2$IrCl$_6$, we show that the sub-extensive degeneracy is robust, but remains susceptible to fluctuations or longer range interactions which cooperate to select a magnetic order at low temperatures. Proximity to the nodal line spin liquid influences the ordered state, enhancing the effects of quantum fluctuations and stabilizing it through the opening of a large spin-wave gap. Our results demonstrate quantum fluctuations can act counter-intuitively in frustrated materials: instead of destabilizing ordering, at the brink of the nodal spin liquid they can act to stabilize it and dictate its low-energy physics., Comment: Main article: 9 pages, 3 figures. Supplemental material: 22 pages, 15 figures

A comprehensive set of muon spin spectroscopy and neutron scattering measurements supported by ab-initio and model Hamiltonian simulations have been used to investigate the magnetic ground state of Na$_2$PrO$_3$. $\mu$SR reveals N\'eel antiferromagnetic order below $T_{\rm N}\! \sim\! 4.9$ K, with a small static magnetic moment $m_{\rm static}\!\leq \! 0.22$~$\mu_{\rm B}/{\rm Pr}$ collinearly aligned along the $c-$axis. Inelastic neutron measurements reveal the full spectrum of crystal field excitations and confirm that the Pr$^{4+}$ ground state wave function deviates significantly from the $\Gamma_7$ limit relevant to the Kitaev model. Single and two magnon excitations are observed in the ordered state below $T_N=4.6$ K and are well described by non-linear spin wave theory from the N\'eel state using a magnetic Hamiltonian with Heisenberg exchange $J=1$ meV and symmetric anisotropic exchange $\Gamma/J=0.1$, corresponding to an XY model. Intense two magnon excitations are accounted for by $g$-factor anisotropy $g_\mathrm{z}/g_\pm = 1.29$. A fluctuating moment $\delta m^2 = 0.57(22)$ $\mu_{\rm B}^2/{\rm Pr}$ extracted from the energy and momentum integrated inelastic neutron signal is reduced from expectations for a local $J=1/2$ moment with average $g$-factor $g_{\rm avg}\approx 1.1$. Together, the results demonstrate that the small moment in Na$_2$PrO$_3$ arises from crystal field and covalency effects and that the material does not exhibit significant quantum fluctuations..

In this study, we report a tetragonal perovskite structure of SrIrO$_3$ (P4/mmm, a = 3.9362(9) \r{A}, c = 7.880(3) \r{A}) synthesized at 6 GPa and 1400 $\deg$C, employing the ambient pressure monoclinic SrIrO$_3$ with distorted 6H structure as a precursor. The crystal structure of tetragonal SrIrO3 was evaluated on the basis of single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. A cubic indexing was observed attributed to overlooked superlattice reflections. Weak fractional peaks in the H and K dimensions suggest possible structure modulation by oxygen defects. Magnetization study reveals weak paramagnetic behavior down to 2 K, indicative of the interplay between spin-orbit coupling, electron correlations, and crystal electric field. Additionally, measurements of electrical resistivity display metallic behavior with an upturn at about 54 K, ascribed to weak electron localization and possible structural defects., Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures

Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$ with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and Hubbard repulsion (U) hosts Mott insulating states. The similar crystal structure, magnetic and electronic properties, particularly the $d$-wave gap observed in Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$ enhanced the analogies to cuprate high-$T_{c}$ superconductor, La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$. The incomplete analogy was due to the lack of broken inversion symmetry phases observed in Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$. Here, under high pressure and high temperature conditions, we report a non-centrosymmetric Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$. The crystal structure and its noncentrosymmetric character were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM). The magnetic characterization confirms the Ir$^{4+}$ with $S$ = 1/2 at low temperature in Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$ with magnetic ordering occurred at around 86 K, where a larger moment is observed than the ambient pressure Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$. Moreover, the resistivity measurement shows three-dimensional Mott variable-range hopping existed in the system. This non-centrosymmetric Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$ phase appears to be a unique material to offer further understanding of high-$T_{c}$ superconductivity.

We study the spin-1 pyrochlore material NaCaNi$_2$F$_7$ with a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, stochastic dynamical theory and linear spin wave theory. The dynamical structure factor from inelastic neutron scattering is well described with a near-ideal Heisenberg Hamiltonian incorporating small anisotropic terms {and weak second-neighbor interactions}. We find that all three approaches reproduce remarkably well the momentum dependence of the scattering intensity as well as its energy dependence with the exception of the lowest energies. These results are notable in that (i) the data show a complete lack of sharp quasiparticle excitations in momentum space over much, if not all, of the energy range; (ii) linear spin-wave theory appears to apply in a regime where it would be expected to fail for a number of reasons. We elucidate what underpins these surprises, and note that basic questions about the nature of quantum spin liquidity in such systems pose themselves as a result., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

Here we report successful growth of mm scale single crystals of stoichiometric FeSc2S4. Single crystal X-ray diffraction yields a cubic structure, spacegroup Fd-3m, with a=10.5097(2) angstroms at T=110(2) K consistent with previous literature on polycrystallin samples. Models fit to the data reveal no detectable antisite mixing or deviations from the ideal stoichiometry. Heat capacity and dc magnetization measurements on the single crystals match those of high quality powder specimens. The novel traveling solvent growth method presented in this work opens the door to studies requiring sizable single crystals of the candidate spin-orbital liquid FeSc2S4., Comment: Journal of Crystal Growth (2016)

The combination of electronic correlation and spin-orbit coupling is thought to precipitate a variety of highly unusual electronic phases in solids, including topological and quantum spin liquid states. We report a Raman scattering study that provides evidence for unconventional excitations in $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$, a spin-orbit coupled Mott insulator on the honeycomb lattice. In particular, our measurements reveal unusual magnetic scattering, typified by a broad continuum. The temperature dependence of this continuum is evident over a large scale compared to the magnetic ordering temperature, suggestive of frustrated magnetic interactions. This is confirmed through an analysis of the phonon linewidths, which show a related anomaly due to spin-phonon coupling. These observations are in line with theoretical expectations for the Heisenberg-Kitaev model and suggest that $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ may be close to a quantum spin liquid ground state., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, Supplemental Material included

Mott insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling have been proposed to host unconventional magnetic states, including the Kitaev quantum spin liquid. The 4$d$ system $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ has recently come into view as a candidate Kitaev system, with evidence for unusual spin excitations in magnetic scattering experiments. We apply a combination of optical spectroscopy and Raman scattering to study the electronic structure of this material. Our measurements reveal a series of orbital excitations involving localized total angular momentum states of the Ru ion, implying that strong spin-orbit coupling and electron-electron interactions coexist in this material. Analysis of these features allows us to estimate the spin-orbit coupling strength, as well as other parameters describing the local electronic structure, revealing a well-defined hierarchy of energy scales within the Ru $d$ states. By comparing our experimental results with density functional theory calculations, we also clarify the overall features of the optical response. Our results demonstrate that $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ is an ideal material system to study spin-orbit coupled magnetism on the honeycomb lattice., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, v2: revised figures and discussion, matches published version

The 35th Australian/New Zealand Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting was held at the Charles Sturt University campus in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia from the 1st to the 4th of February 2011. The conference was attended by 92 delegates from a range of universities across Australia, New Zealand and further afield. There were a total of 9 invited and 21 contributed talks during the three days of scientific sessions, as well as 2 poster sessions with a total of 49 poster presentations. All presenters were invited to submit a manuscript for publication in the conference proceedings. The length limits where six pages for invited papers and four pages for contributed papers. Each manuscript was reviewed by two anonymous referees and 18 papers were accepted for publication. The accepted manuscripts are also available at the online publication section of the Australian Institute of Physics national web site (http://www.aip.org.au/)., Comment: A.P. Micolich (Editor), ISBN 978-0-646-55969-8 (2011). 18 papers from 35th Australian/New Zealand Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting, 85 pages