Freezing of the Lattice in the Kagome Lattice Heisenberg Antiferromagnet Zn-Barlowite ZnCu3(OD)6FBr

We use Br-79 nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) to demonstrate that ultraslow lattice dynamics set in below the temperature scale set by the Cu-Cu superexchange interaction J (similar or equal to 160 K) in the kagome lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet Zn-barlowite. The lattice completely freezes below 50 K, and Br-79 NQR line shapes become twice broader due to increased lattice distortions. Moreover, the frozen lattice exhibits an oscillatory component in the transverse spin echo decay, a typical signature of pairing of nuclear spins by indirect nuclear spin-spin interaction. This indicates that some Br sites form structural dimers via a pair of kagome Cu sites prior to the gradual emergence of spin singlets below similar to 30 K Our findings underscore the significant roles played by subtle structural distortions in determining the nature of the disordered magnetic ground state of the kagome lattice.

Automated summary

Using Br-79 nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), we found that ultraslow lattice dynamics and lattice distortions occur at low temperatures in the kagome lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet Zn-barlowite. In addition, nuclear spin pairing was observed in the frozen lattice.