Unravelling the signatures of effective spin1/2moments in CeVO 4 : magnetization and heat capacity study.

The realization of an effective spin ( J eff ) 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 J eff = ½ in CeVO 4 . 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 Ce 3+ spins. The calculated value of effective moment (∼1.16μB) corresponds to J = ½ with g J ∼ 1.20. Further, the field dependent magnetization curve at 2 K follows a behaviour corresponding to J = ½ Brillouin function with g J ∼ 1.13. Magnetic field dependent heat capacity fits very well with two-level Schottky scheme. Our investigations suggest that CeVO 4 can be a promising candidate to realise J eff = ½ properties among 3D spin systems.