Disorder-driven coexistence of distinct dynamical states in frustrated Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$: a microscopic $μ$SR and $^{93}$Nb NMR study

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Main Authors: Biswas, M., Bhattacharya, K., Ranjith, K. M., Hossain, S. M., Islam, S. S., Naskar, M., Sarkar, R., Büchner, B., Shiroka, T., Grafe, H. -J., Majumder, M.
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Published: 2026
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author Biswas, M.
Bhattacharya, K.
Ranjith, K. M.
Hossain, S. M.
Islam, S. S.
Naskar, M.
Sarkar, R.
Büchner, B.
Shiroka, T.
Grafe, H. -J.
Majumder, M.
author_facet Biswas, M.
Bhattacharya, K.
Ranjith, K. M.
Hossain, S. M.
Islam, S. S.
Naskar, M.
Sarkar, R.
Büchner, B.
Shiroka, T.
Grafe, H. -J.
Majumder, M.
contents Despite recent progress in identifying the exotic random singlet (RS) state in disordered frustrated magnets as a distinct correlated phase, three-dimensional (3D) realizations remain scarce. Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$ was proposed to be one of such 3D frustrated systems with magnetic site disorder hosting an RS ground state. Here, we report a detailed microscopic investigation of Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$ employing muon spin relaxation ($μ$SR) and $^{93}$Nb nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The $μ$SR zero-field relaxation rate reveals a power-law divergence of the relaxation rate as a function of temperature. Also, a power-law divergence is present in the relaxation rate as a function of applied longitudinal field, consistent with the formation of an RS phase. The $^{93}$Nb NMR spectra unambiguously resolve two components with distinct local magnetic environments, whose nature is further elucidated through spin-lattice relaxation measurements analyzed via an inverse Laplace transform (ILT) of the nuclear magnetization recovery. The relaxation-rate distribution obtained from ILT reveals two well-separated channels: a fast component, $(1/T_1)_{\mathrm{fast}}$, and a slow component, $(1/T_1)_{\mathrm{slow}}$. Both components follow distinct power-law temperature dependences ($T^α$), with $α= 0.6$ and $1.1$ for the fast and slow channels, respectively. The combined spectral and relaxation data demonstrate that the fast channel qualitatively represents an RS-like state, whereas the slow channel exhibits quantum spin liquid (QSL) like behavior, thereby establishing the microscopic coexistence of RS and QSL-like phases in Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_20337
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Disorder-driven coexistence of distinct dynamical states in frustrated Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$: a microscopic $μ$SR and $^{93}$Nb NMR study
Biswas, M.
Bhattacharya, K.
Ranjith, K. M.
Hossain, S. M.
Islam, S. S.
Naskar, M.
Sarkar, R.
Büchner, B.
Shiroka, T.
Grafe, H. -J.
Majumder, M.
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Despite recent progress in identifying the exotic random singlet (RS) state in disordered frustrated magnets as a distinct correlated phase, three-dimensional (3D) realizations remain scarce. Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$ was proposed to be one of such 3D frustrated systems with magnetic site disorder hosting an RS ground state. Here, we report a detailed microscopic investigation of Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$ employing muon spin relaxation ($μ$SR) and $^{93}$Nb nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The $μ$SR zero-field relaxation rate reveals a power-law divergence of the relaxation rate as a function of temperature. Also, a power-law divergence is present in the relaxation rate as a function of applied longitudinal field, consistent with the formation of an RS phase. The $^{93}$Nb NMR spectra unambiguously resolve two components with distinct local magnetic environments, whose nature is further elucidated through spin-lattice relaxation measurements analyzed via an inverse Laplace transform (ILT) of the nuclear magnetization recovery. The relaxation-rate distribution obtained from ILT reveals two well-separated channels: a fast component, $(1/T_1)_{\mathrm{fast}}$, and a slow component, $(1/T_1)_{\mathrm{slow}}$. Both components follow distinct power-law temperature dependences ($T^α$), with $α= 0.6$ and $1.1$ for the fast and slow channels, respectively. The combined spectral and relaxation data demonstrate that the fast channel qualitatively represents an RS-like state, whereas the slow channel exhibits quantum spin liquid (QSL) like behavior, thereby establishing the microscopic coexistence of RS and QSL-like phases in Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$.
title Disorder-driven coexistence of distinct dynamical states in frustrated Sr$_3$CuNb$_2$O$_9$: a microscopic $μ$SR and $^{93}$Nb NMR study
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.20337