6533b7ddfe1ef96bd1275406

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Challenge of magnetism in strongly correlated open-shell 2p systems.

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We report on theoretical investigations of the exotic magnetism in rubidium sesquioxide ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$, a model correlated system with an open $2p$ shell. Experimental investigations indicated that ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ is a magnetically frustrated insulator. The frustration is explained here by electronic structure calculations that incorporate the correlation between the oxygen $2p$ electrons and deal with the mixed-valent oxygen. This leads to a physical picture where the symmetry is reduced because one third of the oxygen in ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ is nonmagnetic while the remaining two thirds assemble in antiferromagnetic arrangements. A degenerate, insulating ground state with a large number of frustrated noncollinear magnetic configurations is confidently deduced from the theoretical point of view. These findings demonstrate in general the importance of electron-electron correlations in open-shell $p$-electron systems.