Disorder-induced proximate quantum spin ice phase in Pr2Sn2O7

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Luo, Yi, Ortiz, Brenden R., Knudtson, Miles, Wilson, Stephen D., Liu, Jue, Frandsen, Benjamin A., Chen, Si Athena, Frontzek, Matthias D., Podlesnyak, Andrey A., Paddison, Joseph A. M., Aczel, Adam A.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Luo, Yi
Ortiz, Brenden R.
Knudtson, Miles
Wilson, Stephen D.
Liu, Jue
Frandsen, Benjamin A.
Chen, Si Athena
Frontzek, Matthias D.
Podlesnyak, Andrey A.
Paddison, Joseph A. M.
Aczel, Adam A.
author_facet Luo, Yi
Ortiz, Brenden R.
Knudtson, Miles
Wilson, Stephen D.
Liu, Jue
Frandsen, Benjamin A.
Chen, Si Athena
Frontzek, Matthias D.
Podlesnyak, Andrey A.
Paddison, Joseph A. M.
Aczel, Adam A.
contents Magnetic pyrochlores with non-Kramers rare-earth ions provide a platform for exploring emergent gauge physics and quantum spin-ice behavior, yet the influence of structural disorder on their ground states remains insufficiently understood. Here we combine bulk characterization and single-crystal neutron-scattering measurements to investigate the non-Kramers pyrochlore Pr2Sn2O7. At temperatures below ~1 K, the system exhibits key hallmarks of quantum spin-ice physics, including anisotropic spin-ice correlations and two distinct dynamical timescales. Upon further cooling, however, we observe a complete spin-freezing transition at T_f ~ 0.15 K, accompanied by recovery of the full nuclear Schottky anomaly, the emergence of a gapped magnetic excitation, and the development of incipient (100) magnetic correlations. Comparison with related Pr-based pyrochlores places Pr2Sn2O7 near the spin-frozen boundary of a disorder-perturbed phase diagram. These results establish a disorder-driven framework for how quantum spin-ice behavior evolves into frozen ground states, demonstrating that proximity to a quantum spin liquid can coexist with disorder-induced spin freezing in non-Kramers pyrochlores.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_19248
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Disorder-induced proximate quantum spin ice phase in Pr2Sn2O7
Luo, Yi
Ortiz, Brenden R.
Knudtson, Miles
Wilson, Stephen D.
Liu, Jue
Frandsen, Benjamin A.
Chen, Si Athena
Frontzek, Matthias D.
Podlesnyak, Andrey A.
Paddison, Joseph A. M.
Aczel, Adam A.
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Materials Science
Magnetic pyrochlores with non-Kramers rare-earth ions provide a platform for exploring emergent gauge physics and quantum spin-ice behavior, yet the influence of structural disorder on their ground states remains insufficiently understood. Here we combine bulk characterization and single-crystal neutron-scattering measurements to investigate the non-Kramers pyrochlore Pr2Sn2O7. At temperatures below ~1 K, the system exhibits key hallmarks of quantum spin-ice physics, including anisotropic spin-ice correlations and two distinct dynamical timescales. Upon further cooling, however, we observe a complete spin-freezing transition at T_f ~ 0.15 K, accompanied by recovery of the full nuclear Schottky anomaly, the emergence of a gapped magnetic excitation, and the development of incipient (100) magnetic correlations. Comparison with related Pr-based pyrochlores places Pr2Sn2O7 near the spin-frozen boundary of a disorder-perturbed phase diagram. These results establish a disorder-driven framework for how quantum spin-ice behavior evolves into frozen ground states, demonstrating that proximity to a quantum spin liquid can coexist with disorder-induced spin freezing in non-Kramers pyrochlores.
title Disorder-induced proximate quantum spin ice phase in Pr2Sn2O7
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19248