Spin-liquid behavior in a kagome antiferromagnet: Deuteronium jarosite

The spin dynamics of the frustrated quasi-two-dimensional spin-5/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic kagome compound deuteronium jarosite, (D(3)O) Fe(3)(SO(4))(2)(OD)(6), has been studied using inelastic neutron scattering. The dynamic magnetic susceptibility shows a clear spin-liquid behavior with strong dynamic short-range correlations with staggered chirality, as seen from the wave vector dependence at finite-energy transfers. The magnetic scattering at low temperatures is gapless and extends out to at least 20 meV. The dynamics shows a non-exponential relaxation behavior but no dynamical w/T scaling. The characteristic energy (inverse relaxation rate) increases linearly with temperature.