Magnetic properties of BaCdVO(PO₄)₂: a strongly frustrated spin-1/2 square lattice close to the quantum critical regime

We report magnetization and specific heat measurements on polycrystalline samples of BaCdVO(PO_4)_2 and show that this compound is a S=1/2 frustrated square lattice with ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor (J_1) and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor (J_2) interactions. The coupling constants J_1\simeq -3.6 K and J_2\simeq 3.2 K are determined from a fitting of the susceptibility data and confirmed by an analysis of the saturation field (H_s=4.2 T), the specific heat, and the magnetic entropy. BaCdVO(PO_4)_2 undergoes magnetic ordering at about 1 K, likely towards a columnar antiferromagnetic state. We find that BaCdVO(PO_4)_2 with the frustration ratio \alpha=J_2/J_1\simeq -0.9 is closer to a critical (quantum spin liquid) region of the frustrated square lattice than any of the previously reported compounds. Positive curvature of the magnetization curve is observed in agreement with recent theoretical predictions for high-field properties of the frustrated square lattice close to the critical regime.