Low temperature magnetization of the S = 1/2 kagome antiferromagnet ZnCu3 (O H) 6CL 2

F. Bert (1) , S. Nakamae (2) , F. Ladieu (2) , D. L’hôte (2) , P. Bonville (2, 3) , F. Duc (4) , J.-C. Trombe (4) , P. Mendels (1)

1 LPS - Laboratoire de Physique des Solides
2 SPEC - UMR3680 - Service de physique de l'état condensé
3 LNO - Laboratoire Nano-Magnétisme et Oxydes
4 CEMES - Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales

The dc magnetization of the unique S= 1/ 2 kagome antiferromagnet Herbertsmithite has been measured down to 0.1 K. No sign of spin freezing is observed in agreement with former SR and ac-susceptibility results. The low temperature magnetic response is dominated by a defect contribution which exhibits an energy scale 1 K, likely reflecting the coupling of the defects. The defect component is saturated at low temperature by H8 T applied magnetic fields which enables us to estimate an upper bound for the nonsaturated intrinsic kagome susceptibility at T=1.7 K.

Domains: Physics [physics]

F. Bert, S. Nakamae, F. Ladieu, D. L’hôte, P. Bonville, et al.. Low temperature magnetization of the S = 1/2 kagome antiferromagnet ZnCu3 (O H) 6CL 2. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 2007, 76, pp.132411. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.76.132411⟩. ⟨cea-01395205⟩