Thermodynamic signatures of a field-induced ordered intermediate phase in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866909053865689088 |
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| author | Mukharjee, Prashanta K. Erdmann, Sebastian Kalaivanan, R. Sankar, R. Choi, Kwang-Yong Tsirlin, Alexander A. Gegenwart, Philipp |
| author_facet | Mukharjee, Prashanta K. Erdmann, Sebastian Kalaivanan, R. Sankar, R. Choi, Kwang-Yong Tsirlin, Alexander A. Gegenwart, Philipp |
| contents | The honeycomb cobaltate Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ has recently been proposed as a candidate material for hosting field-induced quantum spin liquid (QSL) behavior. Here, we present a comprehensive thermodynamic study of its low-temperature, high-field phase diagram using magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric-effect measurements down to 1 K. In zero field, we observe a weak residual moment that provides further insight into the nature of the magnetic ground state. For in-plane magnetic fields ($B \parallel a^*$), we identify three field-induced transitions at $B_{c1} \simeq 6$ T, $B_{c2} \simeq 7.8$ T, and $B_{c3} \simeq 10.4$ T. The magnetic Grüneisen parameter and specific heat reveal clear thermodynamic signatures of these successive phase transitions enclosing two intermediate phases. Contrary to expectations for a field-induced QSL, the phase between $B_{c2}$ and $B_{c3}$ lacks enhanced magnetic entropy but instead shows behavior consistent with a distinct ordered state. Above $B_{c3}$, the absence of additional anomalies indicates a crossover to a conventional spin-polarized regime. Our results place stringent thermodynamic constraints on the proposed QSL scenario in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$, calling for further microscopic investigations to establish the precise nature of the field-induced phases. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_15829 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Thermodynamic signatures of a field-induced ordered intermediate phase in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ Mukharjee, Prashanta K. Erdmann, Sebastian Kalaivanan, R. Sankar, R. Choi, Kwang-Yong Tsirlin, Alexander A. Gegenwart, Philipp Strongly Correlated Electrons The honeycomb cobaltate Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ has recently been proposed as a candidate material for hosting field-induced quantum spin liquid (QSL) behavior. Here, we present a comprehensive thermodynamic study of its low-temperature, high-field phase diagram using magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric-effect measurements down to 1 K. In zero field, we observe a weak residual moment that provides further insight into the nature of the magnetic ground state. For in-plane magnetic fields ($B \parallel a^*$), we identify three field-induced transitions at $B_{c1} \simeq 6$ T, $B_{c2} \simeq 7.8$ T, and $B_{c3} \simeq 10.4$ T. The magnetic Grüneisen parameter and specific heat reveal clear thermodynamic signatures of these successive phase transitions enclosing two intermediate phases. Contrary to expectations for a field-induced QSL, the phase between $B_{c2}$ and $B_{c3}$ lacks enhanced magnetic entropy but instead shows behavior consistent with a distinct ordered state. Above $B_{c3}$, the absence of additional anomalies indicates a crossover to a conventional spin-polarized regime. Our results place stringent thermodynamic constraints on the proposed QSL scenario in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$, calling for further microscopic investigations to establish the precise nature of the field-induced phases. |
| title | Thermodynamic signatures of a field-induced ordered intermediate phase in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ |
| topic | Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.15829 |