Evidence for spin liquid ground state in SrDy₂O₄frustrated magnet probed by<i>μ</i>SR

Abstract

Muon spin relaxation ($\\mu$SR) measurements were carried out on\nSrDy$_2$O$_4$, a frustrated magnet featuring short range magnetic correlations\nat low temperatures. Zero-field muon spin depolarization measurements\ndemonstrate that fast magnetic fluctuations are present from $T=300$ K down to\n20 mK. The coexistence of short range magnetic correlations and fluctuations at\n$T=20$ mK indicates that SrDy$_2$O$_4$ features a spin liquid ground state.\nLarge longitudinal fields affect weakly the muon spin depolarization, also\nsuggesting the presence of fast fluctuations. For a longitudinal field of\n$\\mu_0H=2$ T, a non-relaxing asymmetry contribution appears below $T=6$ K,\nindicating considerable slowing down of the magnetic fluctuations as\nfield-induced magnetically-ordered phases are approached.\n