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Collective magnetic state induced by charge disorder in the non-Kramers rare-earth pyrochlore Tb₂ScNbO₇

Geometrical frustration, as in pyrochlore lattices made of corner-sharing tetrahedra, precludes the onset of conventional magnetic ordering, enabling the stabilization of fluctuating spin states at low temperature. Disorder is a subtle ingredient that can modify the nature of these exotic non ordered phases. Here, we study the interplay between disorder and magnetic frustration in the new pyrochlore compound Tb₂ScNbO₇ where the nonmagnetic site presents a charge disorder Nb⁵⁺/Sc³⁺. Using sophisticated diffraction techniques combined with macroscopic measurements, we quantify the disorder and show that a spin glass transition occurs at 1 K while retaining strong spin liquid correlations.