Metallic Spin Liquid-like Behavior of LiV$_2$O$_4$

Abstract

LiV$_2$O$_4$ spinel is known to exhibit heavy fermion-like behavior below a characteristic temperature $T_K\simeq 20$ K, while it preserves a paramagnetic state down to $T\sim10^{-2}$ K due to geometrical frustration. Here, it is shown that the dynamical spin susceptibility $χ({\bf q},ω)$ in LiV$_2$O$_4$ exhibits anomalous duality which is modeled as a sum of itinerant ($χ_{\rm F}$) and local ($χ_{\rm L}$) components,and that the local spin dynamics inferred from $χ_{\rm L}({\bf q},ω)$ is qualitatively different from that expected from time-averaged bulk properties. The anomaly coexists with the marginal Fermi liquid behavior inferred from the $-\ln T$ dependence of the electronic specific heat over a wide temperature range below $T_K$. We argue that such unusual properties of LiV$_2$O$_4$ can be attributed to the putative metallic spin liquid state emerging near the quantum critical point between spin glass and Fermi liquid states.

5 pages, 3 figures, Supplemental Material