Quasi two dimensional spin correlations in the triangular lattice bilayer spin glass LuCoGaO4

We present a single crystal time of flight neutron scattering study of the static and dynamic spin correlations in LuCoGaO4, a quasi two dimensional dilute triangular lattice antiferromagnetic spin glass material. This system is based on Co2 ions that are randomly distributed on triangular bilayers within the YbFe2O4 type, hexagonal crystal structure. Antiferromagnetic short range two dimensional correlations at wave vectors Q 1 3,1 3,L develop within the bilayers at temperatures as high as TCW amp; 8764; 100 K and extend over roughly five unit cells at temperatures below Tg 19 K. These two dimensional static correlations are observed as diffuse rods of neutron scattering intensity along c and display a continuous spin freezing process in their energy dependence. Aside from exhibiting these typical spin glass characteristics, this insulating material reveals a novel gapped magnetic resonant spin excitation at E amp; 8764; 12 meV localized around Q 1 3,1 3,L . The temperature dependence of the spin gap associated with this two dimensional excitation correlates with the evolution of the static correlations into the spin glass state ground state.We associate it with the effect of the staggered exchange field acting on the Seff 1 2 Ising like doublet of the Co2 moment