Spin Liquid Behavior of Highly Frustrated Y(Sc)Mn_<b>2</b>and Effects of Nonmagnetic Impurity

Abstract

The roles of geometrical spin frustration in magnetic and thermodynamic properties of YMn 2 and Y(Sc)Mn 2 are studied. It is shown that the ground state of Y(Sc)Mn 2 , which exhibits heavy fermion like behavior, may be regarded as a quantum spin liquid realized through the frustration. To confirm this idea, magnetic, thermal and electrical properties of the Y 0.95 Sc 0.05 (Mn 1- x Al x ) 2 pseudobinary system have been studied. The substitution of Al for Mn causes a spin liquid to spin glass transition as a result of partial raise of spin configurational degeneracy.