{
  "abstract": "We use inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to determine the crystal electric field (CEF) excitations of Yb$^{3+}$ in the rare-earth hyperkagome magnet Yb$_3$Sc$_2$Ga$_3$O$_{12}$. Three nearly dispersionless magnetic excitations are observed near 58, 68, and 74~meV, corresponding to transitions from the ground-state Kramers doublet to the three excited doublets of the $J=7/2$ multiplet. A Stevens-operator analysis constrained by the local $222$ ($D_2$) symmetry reproduces the excitation energies and spectral weights and yields an Ising-type ground-state $g$ tensor. The first excited doublet lies approximately 58~meV above the ground state, establishing a well-isolated effective $J_{\\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ degree of freedom over the low-temperature regime relevant to collective magnetism. Notably, the directly measured CEF spectrum substantially revises the level scheme previously inferred from bulk measurements, while preserving the essential low-energy pseudospin description. Two independent fitting protocols give consistent excitation energies, ground-doublet wave functions, and $g$ tensors, despite the nonuniqueness of the individual CEF parameters. The resulting single-ion model also reproduces the characteristic susceptibility, magnetization, and field evolution of the Schottky anomaly in specific heat. These results establish the microscopic single-ion basis needed to construct an effective exchange Hamiltonian and to interpret future measurements of low-energy collective excitations in Yb$_3$Sc$_2$Ga$_3$O$_{12}$.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2608.29276",
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Tingjun Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Zehao Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Douglas L. Abernathy"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rong-Zhu Lin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Steven J. Gomez Alvarado"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chien-Lung Huang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pengcheng Dai"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4fvda4mjk076r.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2608.29276",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4fvda4mjk076r",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.29276",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mtrl-sci"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.str-el"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3104|Advanced Condensed Matter Physics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204874061",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.29276",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4fvda4mjk076r.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
      "native_id": "2608.29276",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.29276"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mtrl-sci",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Crystal electric field excitations and an effective-spin-$1/2$ ground doublet in the hyperkagome magnet Yb$_3$Sc$_2$Ga$_3$O$_{12}$",
  "title_text": "Crystal electric field excitations and an effective-spin-1/2 ground doublet in the hyperkagome magnet Yb_3Sc_2Ga_3O_12",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4fvda4mjk076r",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}