Valence bond liquid phase in the honeycomb lattice material Li2RuO3
Författare
Summary, in English
The honeycomb lattice material Li2RuO3 undergoes a dimerization of Ru4+ cations on cooling below 270 degrees C, where the magnetic susceptibility vanishes. We use density functional theory calculations to show that this reflects the formation of a valence bond crystal, with a strong structural bond disproportionation. On warming, x-ray diffraction shows that discrete threefold symmetry is regained on average, and the dimerization apparently disappears. In contrast, local structural measurements using high-energy x rays show that disordered dimers survive at the nanoscale up to at least 650 degrees C. The high-temperature phase of Li2RuO3 is thus an example of a valence bond liquid, where thermal fluctuations drive resonance between different dimer coverages, a classic analog of the resonating valence bond state often discussed in connection with high-T-c cuprates.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
2014
Språk
Engelska
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)
Volym
89
Issue
8
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
American Physical Society
Ämne
- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics
- Physical Sciences
- Natural Sciences
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1098-0121