- Editors' Suggestion
- Letter
Quantum spin liquid ground state with the evidence of roton-like excitations at elevated temperatures in the triangular-lattice delafossite
Phys. Rev. B 113, L220407 – Published 17 June, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3ft3-72ll
Abstract
We present a comprehensive experimental investigation of the temperature evolution of magnetic states in triangular-lattice delafossite . Magnetization measurements on high-quality single crystals reveal easy-plane anisotropy. Specific heat, magnetization, and muon spin relaxation () establish the absence of magnetic order or spin freezing down to 0.03 K (), demonstrating a dynamically fluctuating quantum spin liquid (QSL) ground state. Thermodynamic measurements uncover multiple characteristic energy scales at , and . Below detects a dynamical phase separation in which the majority of the spins are forming a QSL state whereas the remaining spins form a sporadic, disorder-induced state decoupled from the dominant QSL component. Remarkably, the unconventional temperature dependence of the relaxation rate indicates roton-like excitations emerging between and , a feature not previously observed in any QSL system, preceding the stabilization of the low-temperature QSL at 0.3 K. These findings identify as a unique QSL platform, providing valuable insights for further experimental and theoretical exploration.