arXiv subjects

Ross H. Colman

Publications and source records attributed to Ross H. Colman.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Ultralow-Field Triplon Condensation in a Spin-Ladder Magnet

We realise the first ultralow-field Bose-Einstein condensation of triplons in a spin-ladder magnet, uncovering a quantum critical point at only $\mu_0 H_{c1}=0.17$ T in Henmilite ($\mathrm{Ca_2Cu(OH)_4[B(OH)_4]_2}$). Unlike dimer magnets, a ladder retains extended one-dimensional correlations in its gapped parent state, making this limit strongly fluctuation dominated. Thermodynamic, magnetoelastic, $\mu$SR, and neutron-diffraction measurements overturn the previous assignment of zero-field antiferromagnetic order, establishing a quantum-disordered coupled-ladder parent state with persistent low-energy dynamics. The weak low-temperature anomaly instead marks a gap-controlled crossover from the correlated ladder regime into the activated quantum-disordered state. These measurements further reveal an exceptionally asymmetric ordered dome extending to $\mu_0 H_{c2}\simeq 8.2$ T. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations for the relevant spin Hamiltonian place Henmilite just on the gapped side of the zero-field ladder-ordering instability, naturally accounting for the strong separation between the exchange and residual-gap scales and the tiny critical field. Our findings extend ultralow-field triplon condensation beyond the dimer paradigm and establish Henmilite as a platform for controlled tuning across quantum criticality in a fluctuation-dominated spin ladder.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Spin-orbit-entangled $J_{\rm eff}=\frac{1}{2}$ magnetism and unconventional spin freezing in the bond-disordered pyrochlore antiferromagnet NaCdCo$_2$F$_7$

Bond disorder in frustrated pyrochlore antiferromagnets can give rise to fundamentally different quantum ground states depending on the nature of the local magnetic moments. Here, we show that the bond-disordered $J_{\rm eff}=\frac{1}{2}$ pyrochlore antiferromagnet NaCdCo$_2$F$_7$ realizes an unconventional spin-glass-like state with continued dynamics, in stark contrast to its isostructural $S=\frac{1}{2}$ NaCdCu$_2$F$_7$ counterpart. High-field magnetization and Co $L_{2,3}$-edge XAS/XMCD establish spin-orbit-entangled $J_{\rm eff}=\frac{1}{2}$ Co$^{2+}$ moments with a substantial unquenched orbital contribution, consistent with local $XY$ anisotropy seen in the isostructural Na$A''$Co$_2$F$_7$ ($A''$ = Ca, Sr) analogues. $\mu$SR and $^{23}$Na NMR measurements reveal progressive slowing of spin fluctuations below $\sim10$ K, culminating in a partially frozen state with persistent low-temperature dynamics that deviates from a canonical spin glass. Comparison with the isostructural bond-disordered pyrochlore NaCdCu$_2$F$_7$, which realizes a random-singlet state, reveals a fundamentally different response of spin-orbit-entangled Co$^{2+}$ moments to bond disorder. These results identify spin-orbit coupling as a key ingredient governing the fate of bond-disordered frustrated pyrochlore magnets.

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arXiv2026

Dielectric signatures of crystal-field and low-temperature correlated dynamics in NdMgAl11O19

We report dielectric spectroscopy of single-crystalline \ce{NdMgAl11O19}, a magnetoplumbite hexaaluminate in which localized \ce{Nd^{3+}} moments coexist with a polarizable \ce{AlO5} bipyramidal network. The real part of the permittivity, $\varepsilon'_{c}(T)$, measured along the crystallographic $c$ axis, increases as the temperature is lowered from 275~K to 30~K and is frequency-independent between 4~Hz and 50~kHz. At lower temperatures, a frequency-dependent decrease in permittivity is observed, followed by a further upturn below 2~K. The high-frequency $\varepsilon'_{c}(T)$ is described by a Barrett formula supplemented by an effective two-level contribution, yielding a robust gap of $\Delta = 25.85 \pm 0.32$~K consistent with the lowest \ce{Nd^{3+}} crystal-electric-field (CEF) splitting. Below $\sim 30$~K, the dielectric response becomes strongly frequency and magnetic-field dependent. Isothermal $\varepsilon_c'(H)$ measurements reveal a reproducible low-field crossover near $\mu_0H_c \simeq 0.85$~T, which we attribute to the competition between antiferromagnetic correlations and Zeeman splitting of the ground-state Kramers doublet. \ce{NdMgAl11O19} thus provides a Kramers reference system in which dielectric signatures of the excited-state CEF manifold can be distinguished from those of the field-tuned, correlation-dominated ground-state doublet sector in a centrosymmetric frustrated magnetoplumbite host

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arXiv2026

Strongly Quenched Kramers Doublet Magnetism in SmMgAl11O19

We report magnetic susceptibility, isothermal magnetization, and specific-heat measurements on the rare-earth hexaaluminate SmMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$, where Sm$^{3+}$ realizes a strongly quenched Kramers doublet on a triangular lattice with an exceptionally weak net exchange scale. The Curie--Weiss analysis yields strongly reduced ground-doublet $g$ factors, $g_{ab}\simeq 0.65$ and $g_{c}\simeq 0.70$. This indicates that the low-temperature response is governed primarily by single-ion physics, with crystal-field splitting and $J$-multiplet mixing jointly renormalizing the Sm$^{3+}$ moment, rather than collective exchange. For $H \parallel c$, the specific heat shows no $\lambda$-type anomaly down to 0.35~K but evolves into a well-defined two-level Schottky peak whose gap grows linearly with field, yielding $g_c\simeq0.62$ and recovering nearly all of $R\ln2$ at high fields, thereby confirming an effective $S_{\mathrm{eff}}=\tfrac12$ Kramers doublet description for $T\lesssim10$~K. Together, these results establish SmMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$ as a weak-exchange, nearly single-ion triangular Kramers magnet in which frustration produce an anisotropic low-field correlated regime without inducing long-range order.

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arXiv2025

Crystal-Field--Driven Magnetoelectric Coupling in the Non-Kramers Hexaaluminate PrMgAl11O19

We report broadband dielectric spectra of the non-Kramers hexaaluminate PrMgAl\textsubscript{11}O\textsubscript{19}, revealing a pronounced interplay between permittivity and magnetization at cryogenic temperatures. The zero-field dielectric response follows a Barrett-type quantum-paraelectric form, while a broad dielectric anomaly near \SI{5}{K} shows a complex field dependence that mirrors the multi-hump behavior of the magnetic specific heat, evidencing robust magnetoelectric coupling. The inverse permittivity $\varepsilon'^{-1}(T,H)$ scales linearly with $M^2$, consistent with a biquadratic $P^2M^2$ term in a Landau framework. Fits yield temperature-dependent coupling constant $\lambda(T)$ that decreases with heating from ($1.07\pm0.01)\times10^{-4}\,\mu_{\mathrm{B}}^{-2}$ (at 5\,K) to $(4.77\pm0.02)\times10^{-5}\,\mu_{\mathrm{B}}^{-2}$ (at 10\,K), reflecting the thermal population of low-lying energy levels of Pr$^{3+}$. Consistently, the uniaxial thermal expansion develops an additional low-temperature hump below $\sim\SI{30}{K}$ that is progressively suppressed by magnetic field, recovering an approximately saturated response by \SI{9}{T}. These results identify PrMgAl\textsubscript{11}O\textsubscript{19} as a paradigmatic non-Kramers hexaaluminate where quantum paraelectricity and magnetoelectric interactions are intrinsically entangled, establishing hexaaluminates as a tunable platform for magnetoelectric physics in frustrated quantum materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Crystal-Field--Driven Magnetoelectricity in the Triangular Quantum Magnet CeMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$

We report dielectric and magnetoelectric studies of single-crystalline \ce{CeMgAl11O19}, a Kramers triangular magnet embedded in a polarizable hexaaluminate lattice. In zero magnetic field, the permittivity $\varepsilon'(T)$ follows the Barrett law of a quantum paraelectric down to 25 K, below which a broad minimum develops near 3 K without evidence of static ferroelectric or magnetic order. Application of magnetic fields up to \SI{9}{\tesla} shifts this minimum to higher temperatures and broadens it, evidencing a tunable magnetoelectric response.The magnetoelectric coupling was characterized using results from magnetization measurements. The anomaly temperature $T^*$, extracted from the local minimum of $\varepsilon'(T)$, exhibits a linear dependence on the squared magnetization $M^2$, consistent with the biquadratic magnetoelectric coupling allowed in centrosymmetric systems. This magnetoelectric effect, mediated by spin-orbit-entangled Kramers doublets interacting with a frustrated antipolar liquid, establishes \ce{CeMgAl11O19} as a prototype for exploring quantum magnetoelectricity in frustrated systems.

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arXiv2025

Absence of Long-Range Order and Magnetic Anisotropy in the Triangular Magnet NdMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$

We investigated the rare-earth triangular-lattice antiferromagnet NdMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$ using single-crystal magnetization (1.8~K $\leq T \leq$ 300~K, $\mu_0 H \leq 7$~T) and specific-heat measurements down to 45~mK. The dc susceptibility confirms a well-isolated Kramers doublet ground state with pronounced Ising-type anisotropy, with $g_c \approx 3.7$ and $g_{ab} \approx 1.45$. Curie--Weiss fits yield weak, anisotropic antiferromagnetic exchange, with $\theta_c = -0.54$~K and $\theta_{ab} = -0.87$~K. Heat-capacity measurements show no long-range magnetic order down to 40~mK, corresponding to a frustration index $f \gtrsim 20$. Instead, $C_m/T$ exhibits a broad maximum near 0.081~K whose magnitude and field evolution are consistent with short-range correlations in an anisotropic triangular lattice. Applied magnetic fields open a Zeeman gap where the specific-heat anomaly follows $\Delta = g \mu_B \mu_0 H$, and $M(H,T)$ is well described by a Brillouin function for an effective $J = 1/2$ moment. The field tuning of the low-temperature entropy manifold allows self-cooling from 1.8~K to 53~mK by adiabatic demagnetisation from a 9~T field. These results identify NdMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$ as a nearly ideal weak-exchange triangular magnet with a field-tunable correlated ground state, where two-dimensional crossover effects may emerge from frustrated XXZ interactions.

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arXiv2023

Structural and spin-glass properties of single crystal $J_{eff}$ = 1/2 pyrochlore antiferromagnet NaCdCo$_2$F$_7$ : correlating $T_f$ with magnetic-bond-disorder

Weak bond disorder disrupts the expected spin-liquid ground-state of the ideal $S$ = 1/2 Heisenberg pyrochlore antiferromagnet. Here we introduce a single crystal study of the structural and magnetic properties of the bond-disordered pyrochlore NaCdCo$_2$F$_7$. The magnetic susceptibility appears isotropic, with a large negative Curie-Weiss temperature ($θ_{CW}$ = -108(1) K), however no magnetic order is observed on cooling until a spin-glass transition at $T_f$ = 4.0 K. AC-susceptibility measurements show a frequency-dependent shift of the associated cusp in $χ$ at $T_f$, that can be fitted well by the empirical Vogel-Fulcher law. The magnetic moment of $μ_{eff}$ = 5.4(1) $μ_{B}$/Co$^{2+}$ indicates a significant orbital contribution and heat capacity measurements show that down to 1.8 K, well below $T_f$, only $S_{mag}$ ~2/3 Rln(2) of the magnetic entropy is recovered, suggestive of residual continued dynamics. Structural and magnetism comparisons are made with the other known members of the Na$A$Co$_2$F$_7$ family ($A$ = Ca$^{2+}$, Sr$^{2+}$), confirming the expected relationship between spin-glass freezing temperature, and extent of magnetic bond disorder brought about by the size mismatch between A-site ions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Spin dynamics in the pyrochlore iridate, Er2Ir2O7, investigated by muSR spectroscopy

Building a full understanding of the complex magnetism in the rare-earth pyrochlore iridates, A2Ir2O7, is an ongoing issue in condensed matter physics. The possibility of two interpenetrating and interacting frustrated magnetic pyrochlore sublattices, connected with the strong spin-orbit coupling of the 5d Ir4+ ion, lends itself to a wide array of potential electronic and magnetic states. In this paper, we present longitudinal field and zero field muSR measurements of Er2Ir2O7. The muSR response of Er2Ir2O7 is dominated by the strong fluctuating fields of the Er3+ (J = 15/2) moments, showing a peak in fitted relaxation rate, λ_2, at T = 15 K . The muSR spectra show just weak signatures of the Ir transition, that were easily suppressed in applied longitudinal field, however full decoupling of the muons from local magnetic fields was not achieved even in applied fields up to 3 kG.

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