Low-temperature magnetism and spin dynamics in the disordered triangular-lattice compound
Phys. Rev. B 114, 165140 – Published 25 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/px8x-fcqp
Abstract
The interplay between geometric frustration, spin-orbit coupling, and structural disorder can give rise to unconventional magnetic ground states in rare-earth triangular-lattice magnets. We report low-temperature magnetic and NMR investigations of the disordered triangular-lattice compound (LCYBO). Rietveld refinement confirms a hexagonal structure with partial Ca/Yb antisite disorder and fractional Li occupancy. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements indicate a well-isolated effective Kramers doublet with weak antiferromagnetic interactions . The specific heat reveals a weak anomaly near 0.43 K, suggesting the development of short-range correlated magnetism rather than conventional long-range order. NMR spectra broaden strongly upon cooling, consistent with increasingly inhomogeneous internal magnetic fields. The spin-lattice relaxation exhibits two relaxation components consistent with disorder-induced distributions of local magnetic environments arising from antisite disorder and competing exchange pathways. Our results establish LCYBO as a structurally disordered frustrated triangular-lattice magnet with correlated low-energy spin dynamics.