Giant Magnetoelastic-Coupling Driven Spin-Lattice Liquid State in Molybdate Pyrochlores

Abstract

We propose the idea of a spin-lattice liquid, in which spin and lattice degrees of freedom are strongly coupled and remain disordered and fluctuating down to low temperatures. We show that such a state arises naturally from a microscopic analysis of a class of molybdate pyrochlore compounds, and is driven by a giant magnetoelastic effect. Finally, we argue that this could explain some of the experimental features of Y$_2$Mo$_2$O$_7$.