Correlations, spin dynamics, defects: the highly-frustrated Kagomé bilayer

Abstract: The SrCr$_{9p}$Ga$_{12-9p}$O$_{19}$ and Ba$_{2}$Sn$_{2}$ZnGa$_{10-7p}$Cr$_{7p}$O$_{22}$ compounds are two highly-frustrated magnets possessing a quasi-two-dimensional Kagom\'{e} bilayer of spin 3/2 chromium ions with antiferromagnetic interactions. Their magnetic susceptibility was measured by local Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and non-local (SQUID) techniques, and their low-temperature spin dynamics by Muon Spin Resonance. Consistent with the theoretical picture drawn for geometrically frustrated systems, the Kagom\'{e} bilayer is shown here to exhibit: (i) short range spin-spin correlations down to a temperature much lower than the Curie-Weiss temperature, no conventional long-range transition occurring; (ii) a Curie contribution to the susceptibility from paramagnetic defects generated by spin vacancies; (iii) low-temperature spin fluctuations, at least down to 30 mK, which are a trademark of a dynamical ground state. These properties point to a spin-liquid ground state, possibly built on Resonating Valence Bonds with unconfined spinons as the magnetic excitations.