Easy-plane multi-q magnetic ground state of Na3Co2SbO6
Abstract
Na3Co2SbO6 is a potential Kitaev magnet with a monoclinic layered crystal structure. Recent investigations of the C3-symmetric sister compound Na2Co2TeO6 have uncovered a unique triple-q magnetic ground state, as opposed to a single-q (zigzag) one, prompting us to examine the influence of the reduced structural symmetry of Na3Co2SbO6 on its ground state. Neutron diffraction data obtained on a twin-free crystal reveal that the ground state remains a multi-q state, despite the system's strong in-plane anisotropy. This robustness of multi-q orders suggests that they are driven by a common mechanism in the honeycomb cobaltates, such as higher-order magnetic interactions. Spin-polarized neutron diffraction results show that the ordered moments are entirely in-plane, with each staggered component orthogonal to the propagating wave vector. The inferred ground state favors a so-called XXZ easy-plane anisotropic starting point for the microscopic model over a Kitaev one, and features unequal ordered moments reduced by strong quantum fluctuations.
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