Frustration-induced dimensional reduction and coexistence of long- and short-range magnetic order in
Phys. Rev. B 114, 214427 – Published 23 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1b93-8m54
Abstract
The phenomenon of frustration greatly enriches the accessible physics of quantum magnets. With this in mind, we study the magnetism of using a combination of bulk property measurements and neutron scattering techniques. The low-temperature heat capacity reveals two magnetic transitions at = 270 mK and = 180 mK. However, much of the magnetic entropy is released above , manifesting as a broad peak centered at 450 mK. A similar broad peak is observed in the magnetic susceptibility, which possesses a clear anisotropy; these data can be well fit using a one-dimensional XXZ model, yielding an antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor exchange = –0.962(2) K and exchange anisotropy close to the Ising limit. Single-crystal elastic neutron scattering reveals highly anisotropic magnetic diffuse scattering above , confirming that quasi-one-dimensional, short-range, antiferromagnetic order is the origin of the broad peak in the heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility. Magnetic Bragg peaks characterized by a = (0 0 ) propagation vector emerge below . Interestingly, the magnetic diffuse scattering persists for , indicating a regime of coexisting short- and long-range order. The magnetic Bragg peaks exhibit an additional increase in intensity below with no change in . Concomitantly, the diffuse scattering disappears, indicating the attainment of full long-range order. While the precise nature of the ordered magnetic ground state remains unresolved, the observed magnetic scattering indicates predominant -axis moments with a small -plane component. We propose that the quasi-one-dimensional behavior and the coexistence of short- and long-range order are driven by frustration of exchange interactions with significant anisotropy.