Geometrical frustration in the spin liquid β'-Me3EtSb[Pd(dmit)2]2 and the valence-bond solid Me3EtP[Pd(dmit)2]2

Abstract

We show that the electronic structures of the title compounds predicted by density functional theory are well described by tight binding models. We determine the frustration ratio, J'/J, of the Heisenberg model on the anisotropic triangular lattice, which describes the spin degrees of freedom in the Mott insulating phase for a range of Pd(dmit)2 salts. All of the antiferromagnetic materials studied have J'/J is < or approximately equal to 0.5 or J'/J > or approximately equal to 0.9, and all salts with 0.5 < or approximately equal to J'/J < or approximately equal to 0.9 are known, experimentally, to be charge ordered valence-bond solids or spin liquids.