Magnetization in Single-crystal YbZn₂GaO₅ via Neutron Scattering with Magnetic Fields

YbZn₂GaO₅ has been proposed as a clean platform for unconventional magnetism and possible Dirac-spin-liquid behavior.[1] Recent powder INS and diffraction by Zhao et al. report substantial quenched disorder from Zn/Ga site mixing that broadens crystal-field excitations, underscoring the need to assess disorder when interpreting its magnetism.[2] Here we present a comprehensive single-crystal study combining high-field, low-temperature neutron measurements—magnetic Bragg diffraction, neutron crystal-field spectroscopy, and inelastic neutron scattering—with complementary high-field susceptibility, high-field magnetization, and wide-angle structural single crystal neutron diffraction. Across fields and temperatures, the evolution of magnetic Bragg intensity and excitation spectra is not well captured by a homogeneous, defect-free model. These results suggest that disorder and defects play a primary role in the magnetization process.

[1] R. Bag, S. Xu, N. E. Sherman, L. Yadav, A. I. Kolesnikov, A. A. Podlesnyak, E. S. Choi, I. da Silva, J. E. Moore, and S. Haravifard, “Evidence of Dirac Quantum Spin Liquid in YbZn2GaO5,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 266703 (2024); arXiv:2305.20040.

[2] L. Zhao, T. Chen, M. B. Stone, Q. Zhang, C. L. Sarkis, S. M. Koohpayeh, and C. Broholm, “Quenched Disorder in the Triangular Lattice Antiferromagnet YbZn2GaO5,” arXiv:2507.12592 (2025).