• Fritsch, K.; Ross, K.A.; Granroth, G.E.; Ehlers, G.; Noad, H.M.L.; Dabkowska, H.A.; Gaulin, B.D.G.: Quasi-two-dimensional spin correlations in the triangular lattice bilayer spin glass LuCoGaO4. Physical Review B 96 (2017), p. 094414/1-7

10.1103/PhysRevB.96.094414
Open Access Version

Abstract:
We present a single-crystal time-of-flight neutron scattering study of the static and dynamic spin correlations in LuCoGaO4, a quasi-two-dimensional dilute triangular lattice antiferromagnetic spin-glass material. This system is based on Co2+ ions that are randomly distributed on triangular bilayers within the YbFe2O4-type, hexagonal crystal structure. Antiferromagnetic short-range two-dimensional correlations at wave vectors Q = (1/3,1/3,L) develop within the bilayers at temperatures as high as |T_CW| ∼ 100 K and extend over roughly five unit cells at temperatures below Tg = 19 K. These two-dimensional static correlations are observed as diffuse rods of neutron scattering intensity along c* and display a continuous spin freezing process in their energy dependence. Aside from exhibiting these typical spin-glass characteristics, this insulating material reveals a novel gapped magnetic resonant spin excitation at E ∼ 12 meV localized around Q = (1/3,1/3,L). The temperature dependence of the spin gap associated with this two-dimensional excitation correlates with the evolution of the static correlations into the spin-glass state ground state.We associate it with the effect of the staggered exchange field acting on the Seff = 1/2 Ising-like doublet of the Co2+ moments.