Two-step magnetic ordering in quasi-one-dimensional helimagnets: possible experimental validation of villain's conjecture about a chiral spin liquid phase.
Low-temperature specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and zero-field muon spin resonance (microSR) measurements have been performed in the quasi-one-dimensional molecular helimagnetic compound Gd(hfac)3NITEt. The specific heat presents two anomalies at T(0)=2.19+/-0.02 K and T(N)=1.88+/-0.02 K, which both disappear upon the application of a weak magnetic field. Conversely, magnetic susceptibility and muSR data show the divergence of two-spin correlation functions only at T(N)=1.88+/-0.02 K. These results suggest an experimental validation of Villain's conjecture of a two-step magnetic ordering in quasi-one-dimensional XY helimagnets; i.e., the paramagnetic phase and the helical spin solid phase are separated by a chiral spin liquid phase, where translational invariance is broken without violation of rotational invariance.
Cinti
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F
CNISM and Department of Physics, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
Rettori
A
A
Pini
M G
MG
Mariani
M
M
Micotti
E
E
Lascialfari
A
A
Papinutto
N
N
Amato
A
A
Caneschi
A
A
Gatteschi
D
D
Affronte
M
M