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DOE OSTI · 3384861

Noncollinear spin order, field-induced transitions, and short-range correlations in Cu 4 ⁢SO 4 ⁢(OH) 6

Prokhnenko, Oleksandr [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), (Germany). German Research Centre for Materials and Energy] (ORCID:0000000253761765)·Kaneko, Koji [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000220020610)·Tabata, Chihiro [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000159352850)·Akaki, Mitsuru [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000243614024)·Lee, Chanhyeon [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000262976661)·Yamanaka, Takayoshi [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)]·Sakai, Hironori [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000207743945)·Hirose, Yusuke [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000182784918)·Gazizulina, Alsu [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), (Germany). German Research Centre for Materials and Energy] (ORCID:0000000252301310)·Tokiwa, Yoshifumi [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000262947879)·Haga, Yoshinori [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)]·Kimata, Motoi [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)]·Fujita, Masaki [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)]·Nojiri, Hiroyuki [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000296767710)·Anovitz, Lawrence M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000226098750)·Podlesnyak, Andrey A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000193666319)
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Abstract

We report a comprehensive study of spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ quantum magnet brochantite, Cu 4 ⁢SO 4 ⁢(OH) 6 , combining high-field thermodynamic measurements, polarized neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Using bulk magnetization and specific heat measurements we construct the magnetic 𝐻−𝑇 phase diagram for magnetic fields applied along main crystallographic directions up to 24.1 T. Polarized neutron diffraction reveals a noncollinear magnetic ground state confined to the 𝑎⁢𝑏 plane. A field-induced transition is observed for magnetic fields in the 𝑎⁢𝑏 plane whose critical field and character evolve continuously with field direction in the 𝑎⁢𝑏 plane. While the transition for 𝐻 ∥ 𝑏 might be a spin-flop-like transition, the one for 𝐻 ∥ 𝑎 resembles the short-range correlated state above 𝑇 N , suggesting a magnetic configuration related to the quasi-two-dimensional correlations in the 𝑏⁢𝑐 planes. The experimental results demonstrate that the ground-state and field-induced phases cannot be explained by a simple XXZ model with a single dominant exchange interaction and that weaker interchain and anisotropic interactions have to be taken into account. Our work establishes brochantite as a low-symmetry Cu-based quantum magnet with noncollinear order and complex field-induced behavior.

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BibTeXRIS

Prokhnenko, Oleksandr [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), (Germany). German Research Centre for Materials and Energy] (ORCID:0000000253761765), Kaneko, Koji [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000220020610), Tabata, Chihiro [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000159352850), Akaki, Mitsuru [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000243614024), Lee, Chanhyeon [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000262976661), Yamanaka, Takayoshi [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)], Sakai, Hironori [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000207743945), Hirose, Yusuke [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000182784918), Gazizulina, Alsu [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), (Germany). German Research Centre for Materials and Energy] (ORCID:0000000252301310), Tokiwa, Yoshifumi [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000262947879), Haga, Yoshinori [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)], Kimata, Motoi [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)], Fujita, Masaki [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)], Nojiri, Hiroyuki [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)] (ORCID:0000000296767710), Anovitz, Lawrence M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000226098750), Podlesnyak, Andrey A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000193666319). 2026-07-10. Noncollinear spin order, field-induced transitions, and short-range correlations in Cu 4 ⁢SO 4 ⁢(OH) 6. https://doi.org/10.1103/l362-1h1r

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