Staggered magnetism in LiV2O4 at low temperatures probed by means of the muon Knight shift

We report on measurement of the muon Knight shift in single crystals of LiV2O4. Contrary to what is anticipated for the heavy fermion state based on the Kondo mechanism, the presence of inhomogeneous local magnetic moments is demonstrated by the broad distribution of the Knight shift at temperatures well below the presumed ‘Kondo temperature’ ( K). Moreover, a significant fraction () of the specimen gives rise to a second component which is virtually non-magnetic. These observations strongly suggest that the anomalous properties of LiV2O4 originate from frustration of local magnetic moments.