Spin-liquid phase and order-by-disorder of classical Heisenberg spins on the swedenborgite lattice

Abstract

Frustration refers to the inability to satisfy competing interactions simultaneously, often leading to a large number of degenerate ground states. This can suppress ordering tendencies, sometimes resulting in a spin liquid phase. An intrinsic effect lifting this degeneracy is entropic order-by-disorder. We present strong evidence that a classical nearest neighbor Heisenberg model on the swedenborgite lattice exhibits both an extended spin-liquid phase as well as entropic order-by-disorder choosing planar configurations after a first order transition. We argue that this observation renders magnetic insulators such as ${\rm{RBaCo}}_4{\rm{O}}_7$, where R denotes a rare earth atom, prime candidates for displaying spin liquid behavior and entropic order-by-disorder physics due to their large exchange constant.