arXiv · 2106.05309
Nearly itinerant electronic groundstate in the intercalated honeycomb iridate Ag$_3$LiIr$_2$O$_6$
Abstract
We use x-ray spectroscopy at Ir L$_3$/L$_2$ absorption edge to study powder samples of the intercalated honeycomb magnet Ag$_3$LiIr$_2$O$_6$. Based on x-ray absorption and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering measurements, and exact diagonalization calculations including next-neighbour Ir-Ir electron hoping integrals, we argue that the intercalation of Ag atoms results in a nearly itinerant electronic structure with enhanced Ir-O hybridization. As a result of the departure from the local relativistic $j_{\rm eff}\! = \!1/2$ state, we find that the relative orbital contribution to the magnetic moment is increased, and the magnetization density is spatially extended and asymmetric. Our results confirm the importance of metal - ligand hybridazation in the magnetism of transition metal oxides and provide empirical guidance for understanding the collective magnetism in intercalated honeycomb iridates.
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A. de la Torre, B. Zager, F. Bahrami, M. DiScala, J. R. Chamorro, M. H. Upton, G. Fabbris, D. Haskel, D. Casa, T. M. McQueen, F. Tafti, K. W. Plumb. 2021-06-09. Nearly itinerant electronic groundstate in the intercalated honeycomb iridate Ag$_3$LiIr$_2$O$_6$. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.104.l100416
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