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We constructed the magnetic field-temperature phase diagrams of new quasi-two-dimensional isosceles triangular lattice antiferromagnets (TLAF) Ca 3 MNb 2 O 9 (M=Co, Ni) from dc and ac magnetic susceptibilities, specific heat, dielectric constant, and electric polarization measurements on single crystalline samples. Ca 3 CoNb 2 O 9 with effective spin-1/2 Co 2+ ions undergoes a two-step antiferromagnetic phase transition at T N1 = 1.3 K and T N2 = 1.5 K and enters a stripe ordered state at zero magnetic field. With increasing field, successive magnetic phase transitions, reminiscent of the up-up-down ( uud ) and the oblique phases, are observed. The dielectric constant of Ca 3 CoNb 2 O 9 shows anomalies related to the magnetic phase transitions, but clear evidence of ferroelectricity is absent. Meanwhile, Ca 3 NiNb 2 O 9 with spin-1 Ni 2+ ions also shows a two-step antiferromagnetic transition at T N1 = 3.8 K and T N2 = 4.2 K at zero field. For Ca 3 NiNb 2 O 9 , the electric polarization in the magnetic ordered phases was clearly observed from the pyroelectric current measurements, which indicates its coexistence of magnetic ordering and ferroelectricity. 

Fe(II) coordination complexes with ligands of an intermediate field strength often show witching between the high-spin (HS) and low-spin (LS) electronic configurations, known as spin crossover (SCO). This spin-state conversion is achieved by changes in temperature, pressure, or photoexcitation, which make SCO complexes promising materials for various applications that rely on bistable systems. Multifunctional materials that exhibit both spin-state switching and conductivity can be created by combining Fe(II) SCO complexes with organic TCNQ-type electron acceptors. In such complexes, TCNQ●d– radical anions are typically arranged in layers of one-dimensional stacks that provide conducting pathways (Fig. 1). The stacking distance can be affected by structural changes induced by the alteration in the electronic configuration and, thus, bond lengths at the Fe(II) center, resulting in synergy between SCO and conductivity. The synthesis of such materials can be approached in two ways: (1) by coordinating TCNQ●d– ligands directly to the Fe(II) center, which is partially protected by blocking ligands that limit the growth of extended structures or (2) by co-crystallizing completely blocked Fe(II) centers with free TCNQ●d– radicals. We will discuss several examples of the second approach, in which homoleptic Fe(II) cationic SCO complexes with tridentate 2,6-bispyrazolyl-pyridine (bpp) type ligands have been co-crystallized with fractionally-charged TCNQ●d– radical anions. The temperature- and solvent-dependent magnetic behavior and transport properties of these materials will be discussed. We will also present new pathways to improve the design of such molecule-based conductors with spin-state switching properties. To the best of out knowledge, we report the first examples of Fe(II) based conducting molecular materials with abrupt temperature-driven spin transitions. 

Abstract A recent focus of quantum spin liquid (QSL) studies is how disorder/randomness in a QSL candidate affects its true magnetic ground state. The ultimate question is whether the QSL survives disorder or the disorder leads to a “spin-liquid-like” state, such as the proposed random-singlet (RS) state. Since disorder is a standard feature of most QSL candidates, this question represents a major challenge for QSL candidates. YbMgGaO 4 , a triangular lattice antiferromagnet with effective spin-1/2 Yb 3+ ions, is an ideal system to address this question, since it shows no long-range magnetic ordering with Mg/Ga site disorder. Despite the intensive study, it remains unresolved as to whether YbMgGaO 4 is a QSL or in the RS state. Here, through ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity and magnetic torque measurements, plus specific heat and DC magnetization data, we observed a residual κ 0 / T term and series of quantum spin state transitions in the zero temperature limit for YbMgGaO 4 . These observations strongly suggest that a QSL state with itinerant excitations and quantum spin fluctuations survives disorder in YbMgGaO 4 . 

Abstract The magnetic ground state of the pyrochlore Yb 2 GaSbO 7 has not been established. The persistent spin fluctuations observed by muon spin-relaxation measurements at low temperatures have not been adequately explained for this material using existing theories for quantum magnetism. Here we report on the synthesis and characterisation of Yb 2 GaSbO 7 to revisit the nature of the magnetic ground state. Through DC and AC magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and neutron scattering experiments, we observe evidence for a dynamical ground state that makes Yb 2 GaSbO 7 a promising candidate for disorder-induced spin-liquid or spin-singlet behaviour. This state is quite fragile, being tuned to a splayed ferromagnet in a modest magnetic field μ 0 H c  ~ 1.5 T.