Quantum spin-liquid states in an organic magnetic layer and molecular rotor hybrid

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000188117
• Publication Date: 2020-11-06T00:36:15Z
• Authors: Péter Szirmai; Cécile Mézière; Guillaume Bastien; Pawel Wzietek; Patrick Batail; Edoardo Martino; Konstantins Mantu...; Andrea Pisoni; Kira Riedl; Stephen Cottrell; Christopher Baines; László Forró; Bálint Náfrádi
• Keywords: [PHYS]Physics [physics]; triangular lattice; qsl; quenched randomness; QSL; exchange; 01 natural sciences; molecular rotor; motion; 0103 physical sciences; order; program; phases; esr; quantum spin liquid

Significance A better understanding of quantum spin liquids (QSLs), where spin dimer configurations are fluctuating even at the lowest temperatures, could be of use in quantum information, in superconducting or other technologies. This macroscopic collective state typically arises from geometrical frustration or low dimensionality. In the layered EDT-BCO, we report a QSL state, which is generated, on different bases, with the intrinsic disorder. The spins in the EDT plane despite a weak frustration would magnetically order but the disorder potential coming from the molecular rotors in the BCO plane prevents it. With multiple experimental probes, the stabilization of a QSL state is demonstrated with signatures of orphan spins, as defects between the QSL domains.