From Claringbullite to a New Spin Liquid Candidate Cu3Zn(OH)6FCl

The search for quantum spin liquid (QSL) materials has attracted significant attention in the field of condensed matter physics in recent years, however so far only a handful of them are considered as candidates hosting QSL ground state. Owning to their geometrically frustrated structures, Kagome materials are ideal systems to realize QSL. We synthesize the kagome structured material claringbullite (Cu_4(OH)_6FCl) and then replace inter-layer Cu with Zn to form Cu_3Zn(OH)_6FCl. Comprehensive measurements reveal that doping Zn^2+ ions transforms magnetically ordered Cu_4(OH)_6FCl into a non-magnetic QSL candidate Cu_3Zn(OH)_6FCl. Therefore, the successful syntheses of Cu_4(OH)_6FCl and Cu_3Zn(OH)_6FCl provide not only a new platform for the study of QSL but also a novel pathway of investigating the transition between QSL and magnetically ordered systems.