Toward Perfection: Kapellasite, Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2, a New Model S = 1/2 Kagome Antiferromagnet

The search for the resonating valence bond (RVB) state continues to underpin many areas of condensed matter research. The RVB is made from the dimerisation of spins on different sites into fluctuating singlets, and was proposed by Anderson to be the reference state from which the transition to BCS superconductivity occurs. Little is known about the state experimentally, due to the scarcity of model materials. Theoretical work has put forward the S = 1/2 kagome antiferromagnet (KAFM) as a good candidate for the realization of the RVB state. In this paper we introduce a new model system, the S = 1/2 KAFM Kapellasite, Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2. We show that its crystal structure is a good approximation to a 2-dimensional kagome antiferromagnet and that susceptibility data indicate a collapse of the magnetic moment below T = 25 K that is compatible with the spins condensing into the non-magnetic RVB state.Comment: Communication, 3 pages, 3 figure

Screening of alternative technologies to incineration for treatment of chemical-agent-contaminated soil

As part of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, RMA has contracted Argonne National Laboratory to investigate potential remedial alternatives for the cleanup of agent-contaminated soils. The chemical agents of concern include levinstein mustard, lewisite, sarin, and VX. This investigation has been initially divided into three phases: (1) a literature search to determine what, if any, previous studies have been conducted; (2) a technologies-screening critique of remedial technologies as alternatives to incineration; and (3) an investigation of promising alternatives on RMA soil at the laboratory and bench-scale levels. This paper summarizes the document produced as a result of the technologies screening. The purpose of the document was to determine the applicability of 25 technologies to remediation of agent-contaminated soil for a general site. Technologies were critiqued on the basis of applicability to soil type, applicability to the agents of concern at RMA, applicability to other types of contaminants, cost of the treatment, current status of the technology, and residuals produced

Hole-doping effects on a frustrated spin ladder

Hole-doping effects are investigated on the {\it t-J} ladder model with the linked-tetrahedra structure. We discuss how a metal-insulator transition occurs upon hole doping with particular emphasis on the effects of geometrical frustration. By computing the electron density and the spin correlation function by the density matrix renormalization group, we show that strong frustration triggers a first-order transition to a metallic phase, when holes are doped into the plaquette-singlet phase. By examining spin excitations in a metallic case in detail, we discuss whether the spin-gap phase persists upon hole doping according to the strength of frustration. It is further shown that the lowest excited state in a spin-gap metallic phase can be described in two independent quasiparticles.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure

Spectral functions in itinerant electron systems with geometrical frustration

The Hubbard model with geometrical frustration is investigated in a metallic phase close to half-filling. We calculate the single particle spectral function for the triangular lattice within dynamical cluster approximation, which is further combined with non-crossing approximation and fluctuation exchange approximation to treat the resulting cluster Anderson model. It is shown that frustration due to non-local correlations suppresses short-range antiferromagnetic fluctuations and thereby assists the formation of heavy quasi-particles near half-filling.Comment: 4 pages, 5 eps figure

Hidden magnetic frustration by quantum relaxation in anisotropic Nd-langasite

The static and dynamic magnetic properties of the Nd$_3$Ga$_5$SiO$_{14}$ compound, which appears as the first materialization of a rare-earth kagome-type lattice, were re-examined, owing to contradictory results in the previous studies. Neutron scattering, magnetization and specific heat measurements were performed and analyzed, in particular by fully taking account of the crystal electric field effects on the Nd$^{3+}$ ions. One of the novel findings is that the peculiar temperature independent spin dynamics observed below 10 K expresses single-ion quantum processes. This would short-circuit the frustration induced cooperative dynamics, which would emerge only at very low temperature

Pyrochlore Antiferromagnet: A Three-Dimensional Quantum Spin Liquid

The quantum pyrochlore antiferromagnet is studied by perturbative expansions and exact diagonalization of small clusters. We find that the ground state is a spin-liquid state: The spin-spin correlation functions decay exponentially with distance and the correlation length never exceeds the interatomic distance. The calculated magnetic neutron diffraction cross section is in very good agreement with experiments performed on Y(Sc)Mn2. The low energy excitations are singlet-singlet ones, with a finite spin gap.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Electron impact excitation cross sections for allowed transitions in atoms

We present a semiempirical Gaunt factor for widely used Van Regemorter formula [Astrophys. J. 136, 906 (1962)] for the case of allowed transitions in atoms with the LS coupling scheme. Cross sections calculated using this Gaunt factor agree with measured cross sections to within the experimental error.Comment: RevTeX, 3 pages, 10 PS figures, 2 PS tables, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Thermodynamic Study of Excitations in a 3D Spin Liquid

In order to characterize thermal excitations in a frustrated spin liquid, we have examined the magnetothermodynamics of a model geometrically frustrated magnet. Our data demonstrate a crossover in the nature of the spin excitations between the spin liquid phase and the high-temperature paramagnetic state. The temperature dependence of both the specific heat and magnetization in the spin liquid phase can be fit within a simple model which assumes that the spin excitations have a gapped quadratic dispersion relation.Comment: 5 figure

Magnetic susceptibility of diluted pyrochlore and SCGO antiferromagnets

We investigate the magnetic susceptibility of the classical Heisenberg antiferromagnet with nearest-neighbour interactions on the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore lattice, for a pure system and in the presence of dilution with nonmagnetic ions. Using the fact that the correlation length in this system for small dilution is always short, we obtain an approximate but accurate expression for the magnetic susceptibility at all temperatures. We extend this theory to the compound SrCr_{9-9x}Ga_{3+9x}O_{19} (SCGO) and provide an explanation of the phenomenological model recently proposed by Schiffer and Daruka [Phys. Rev. B56, 13712 (1997)].Comment: 4 pages, Latex, 4 postscript figures automatically include