Unravelling the signatures of effective spin 1/2 moments in CeVO4: magnetization and heat capacity study

Abstract

Abstract The realization of an effective spin (Jeff ) ½ state at low temperatures offers a platform to study the enthralling physics behind the disordered states in certain systems. Here, we report the signatures of magnetic ground state associated with Jeff = ½ in CeVO4. Our studies confirm the absence of any ordering or freezing down to 1.8 K. In the low temperature region, the Curie–Weiss fit of the inverse DC susceptibility indicate towards the presence of antiferromagnetic correlations among the Ce3+ spins. The calculated value of effective moment (∼1.16 μ B ) corresponds to J = ½ with gJ ∼ 1.20. Further, the field dependent magnetization curve at 2 K follows a behaviour corresponding to J= ½ Brillouin function with gJ ∼ 1.13. Magnetic field dependent heat capacity fits very well with two-level Schottky scheme. Our investigations suggest that CeVO4 can be a promising candidate to realise Jeff = ½ properties among 3D spin systems.