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Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 057203 (2008) [4 pages]

Two-Step Magnetic Ordering in Quasi-One-Dimensional Helimagnets: Possible Experimental Validation of Villain’s Conjecture about a Chiral Spin Liquid Phase

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F. Cinti1,2, A. Rettori1,2, M. G. Pini3, M. Mariani4, E. Micotti4, A. Lascialfari4,5,2, N. Papinutto6, A. Amato7, A. Caneschi8, D. Gatteschi8, and M. Affronte2,9
1CNISM and Department of Physics, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
2CNR-INFM S3 National Research Center, Via Campi 213/A, I-41100 Modena, Italy
3ISC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
4Department of Physics A. Volta and CNR-INFM, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 6, I-27100, Pavia, Italy
5Institute of General Physiology and Biological Chemistry, University of Milano, Via Trentacoste 2, I-20134, Milano, Italy
6Bruker Biospin s.r.l., Via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy
7Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villingen PSI, Switzerland
8INSTM R.U. Firenze and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
9Department of Physics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 213/A, I-41100 Modena, Italy

Received 28 September 2007; revised 23 November 2007; published 6 February 2008

Low-temperature specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and zero-field muon spin resonance (μSR) measurements have been performed in the quasi-one-dimensional molecular helimagnetic compound Gd(hfac)3NITEt. The specific heat presents two anomalies at T0=2.19±0.02  K and TN=1.88±0.02  K, which both disappear upon the application of a weak magnetic field. Conversely, magnetic susceptibility and μSR data show the divergence of two-spin correlation functions only at TN=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.

© 2008 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.057203
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.057203
PACS:
75.10.−b, 75.30.Kz, 75.40.Cx, 75.50.Xx
 
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