Crystal field excitations in the buckled-triangular antiferromagnet DyInO3

DyInO3 is a rare-earth triangular lattice magnet that shows no signs of long-range magnetic order down to very low T, suggesting strong magnetic frustration and the possibility of a quantum spin liquid (QSL) state. Our previous characteriztion, including magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, electron spin resonance, and muon spin relaxation, all point toward unusual low-T spin dynamics likely influenced by crystal electric field (CEF) effects. In addition, our preliminary inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments on single-crystalline DyInO3 exhibit a clear excitation around 4 meV, which we attribute to a low-lying CEF level. However, no higher-energy excitations were detected, likely due to limited measurement time and the high neutron absorption of Dy and In. In this proposal, we request beamtime on the MERLIN spectrometer to carry out high-flux and high-efficiency INS measurements over a wider energy range and at several temperatures. We aim to determine the full CEF level scheme and clarify how it contributes to the magnetic anisotropy and frustration of the system. The results will help assess whether DyInO3 can be considered a promising candidate for a QSL state.