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    Effects of Ru doping on the magnetism of Ag3LiIr2O6: A candidate Kitaev quantum spin liquid

    Sanjay Bachhar1,*, M. Baenitz2, John Wilkinson3, and A. V. Mahajan1,†

    • *Contact author: sanjayphysics95@gmail.com
    • †Contact author: mahajan@phy.iitb.ac.in

    Phys. Rev. B 112, 035142 – Published 15 July, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xfm3-px8f

    Abstract

    We report our investigations on Ag3LiIr1.4Ru0.6O6, which results from the Ru substitution in the Kitaev quantum spin-liquid candidate Ag3LiIr2O6. It crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group like its parent compound, Ag3LiIr2O6. Our susceptibility measurements reveal an effective moment μeff=2.6μB, which is higher than moments of the parent compound and less than that of the Ru analog (Ag3LiRu2O6), suggesting the presence of magnetic Ir4+ (Jeff=1/2) and Ru4+ (S=1). Bulk magnetic susceptibility suggests long-range order (LRO) at T∼20K, whereas no clear signature is present in the heat capacity. Likewise, there is a loss of the Li7 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral intensity around T∼20K as expected at the onset of LRO but a complete wipeout is not seen, in contrast to the result in Ag3LiIr2O6. There is as well a T∼20K anomaly in the Li7 NMR relaxation rate 1/T1 and also a fall in the Li7 NMR shift K with decreasing temperature. These results suggest LRO at T∼20K in Ag3LiIr1.4Ru0.6O6. However, at low T below 10 K, we observe a power-law variation in magnetic heat capacity Cm and spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1, temperature-independent K7, temperature-independent muon spin relaxation rate, and no further loss of the Li7 NMR spectral intensity. These results suggest the persistence or stabilization of a quantum spin-liquid-like phase perhaps from a fraction of the sample in Ag3LiIr1.4Ru0.6O6 below 10 K. Our muon spin relaxation (μSR) measurements suggest ordering around 20 K, consistent with our other probes. It appears that the main effect of Ru substitution is to shift the LRO to a higher temperature in comparison with Ag3LiIr2O6, though there are signatures of a novel phase below about 10 K.

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