Possible realization of a randomness-driven quantum disordered state in an S = 1/2 antiferromagnet Sr3CuTa2O9
Collective behavior of spins, frustration-induced strong quantum fluctuations, and subtle interplay between competing degrees of freedom in quantum materials can lead to correlated quantum states with exotic excitations that are essential ingredients for establishing paradigmatic models and have immense potential for quantum technologies. Disorder is ubiquitous in real materials, and the detailed insights into the role of disorder on the intriguing ground state borne out of quenched randomness provide a route toward the design and discovery of functional quantum materials. Herein, we report magnetization, specific heat, electron spin resonance, and muon spin resonance studies on a 3d-electron-based antiferromagnet Sr3CuTa2O9. The negative Curie- Weiss temperature value, obtained from the Curie-Weiss fit of high-temperature magnetic susceptibility data, indicates antiferromagnetic interaction between Cu2+ moments. Specific heat data show the absence of long-range magnetic ordering down to 64 mK despite a reasonably strong exchange interaction between Cu2+ (S =1/2) spins as reflected from a Curie-Weiss temperature of -27 K. The power-law behavior and the data collapse of specific heat and magnetization data evince the emergence of a random-singlet state in Sr3CuTa2O9. The power-law-like spin auto-correlation function and the data collapse of muon polarization asymmetry with longitudinal field dependence of t(μ0H)^γ further support credence to the presence of a randomness-induced quantum disordered state. Our results suggest that randomness induced by disorder is an alternate route to realize a quantum disordered state in this antiferromagnet.