No Arabic abstract
We present a comprehensive study of the magnetic properties of the long-range ordered quasi-one dimensional $J_{1}$-$J_{2}$ systems with a newly developed torque equilibrium spin-wave expansion approach, which can describe the spin Casimir and magnon decay effects in a unified framework. While the framework does not lose the generality, our discussion will be restricted to two representative types of inter-chain coupling systems: $J_{3}$- or $J_{4}$-system respectively. In spite of the long-range spiral order, the dynamical properties of these systems turn out to be highly nontrivial due to the incommensurate noncollinear spin configuration and the strong quantum fluctuation effects enhanced by the frustration and low-dimensionality. Both the systems show prominent spin Casimir effects induced by the vacuum fluctuation of the spin waves and related modification of the ordering vector, Lifshitz points position and sublattice magnetization. Significant and spontaneous magnon decay effects are manifested in the quantum corrections to the excitation spectrum. By adjusting the strength of magnetic anisotropy and varying the approximation scheme, it is revealed that these striking distinct features are quite robust and have deep connection with both the spin Casimir and the magnon decay effects. Thus these special consequences of the inter-chain coupling on the spin wave dynamics may be served as a set of probes for different types of inter-chain couplings in experiments. At last, to guide experimental measurements such as inelastic neutron scattering in realistic materials and complement our theoretical framework, we develop the analytical theory of the dynamical structure factor within the torque equilibrium formulism and provide the explicit results of the quasi-one dimensional $J_{1}$-$J_{2}$ systems.
Using inelastic neutron scattering, we have observed a quasi-one-dimensional dispersive magnetic excitation in the frustrated triangular-lattice spin-2 chain oxide Ca3Co2O6. At the lowest temperature (T = 1.5 K), this magnon is characterized by a large zone-center spin gap of ~27 meV, which we attribute to the large single-ion anisotropy, and disperses along the chain direction with a bandwidth of ~3.5 meV. In the directions orthogonal to the chains, no measurable dispersion was found. With increasing temperature, the magnon dispersion shifts towards lower energies, yet persists up to at least 150 K, indicating that the ferromagnetic intrachain correlations survive up to 6 times higher temperatures than the long-range interchain antiferromagnetic order. The magnon dispersion can be well described within the predictions of linear spin-wave theory for a system of weakly coupled ferromagnetic chains with large single-ion anisotropy, enabling the direct quantitative determination of the magnetic exchange and anisotropy parameters.
Here we report on the formation of two and three magnon bound states in the quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet $alpha$-NaMnO$_2$, where the single-ion, uniaxial anisotropy inherent to the Mn$^{3+}$ ions in this material provides a binding mechanism capable of stabilizing higher order magnon bound states. While such states have long remained elusive in studies of antiferromagnetic chains, neutron scattering data presented here demonstrate that higher order $n>2$ composite magnons exist, and, specifically, that a weak three-magnon bound state is detected below the antiferromagnetic ordering transition of NaMnO$_2$. We corroborate our findings with exact numerical simulations of a one-dimensional Heisenberg chain with easy-axis anisotropy using matrix-product state techniques, finding a good quantitative agreement with the experiment. These results establish $alpha$-NaMnO$_2$ as a unique platform for exploring the dynamics of composite magnon states inherent to a classical antiferromagnetic spin chain with Ising-like single ion anisotropy.
We address the theory of magnon-phonon interactions and compute the corresponding quasi-particle and transport lifetimes in magnetic insulators with focus on yttrium iron garnet at intermediate temperatures from anisotropy- and exchange-mediated magnon-phonon interactions, the latter being derived from the volume dependence of the Curie temperature. We find in general weak effects of phonon scattering on magnon transport and the Gilbert damping of the macrospin Kittel mode. The magnon transport lifetime differs from the quasi-particle lifetime at shorter wavelengths.
NiNb$_{2}$O$_{6}$ is an almost ideal realization of a 1D spin-1 ferromagnetic Heisenberg chain compound with weak unidirectional anisotropy. Using time-domain THz spectroscopy, we measure the low-energy electrodynamic response of NiNb$_{2}$O$_{6}$ as a function of temperature and external magnetic field. At low temperatures, we find a magnon-like spin-excitation, which corresponds to the lowest energy excitation at $qsim0$. At higher temperatures, we unexpectedly observe a temperature-dependent renormalization of the spin-excitation energy, which has a strong dependence on field direction. Using theoretical arguments, exact diagonalizations and finite temperature dynamical Lanczos calculations, we construct a picture of magnon-magnon interactions that naturally explains the observed renormalization. This unique scenario is a consequence of the spin-1 nature and has no analog in the more widely studied spin-1/2 systems.
The dynamical properties of free and bound domain-wall excitations in Ising-chain materials have recently become the focus of intense research interest. New materials and spectrometers have made it possible to control the environment of coupled Ising chains by both effective internal and applied external fields, which can be both longitudinal and transverse, and thus to demonstrate how the resulting magnetic phase transitions and the nature of the associated excited states obey fundamental symmetry properties. In RbCoCl$_3$, the weakly coupled Ising chains form a triangular lattice whose frustrated geometry and magnetic ordering transitions at low temperature open new possibilities for the Ising-chain environment. We have investigated the structure and magnetism in RbCoCl$_3$ by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and neutron scattering measurements on powder and single crystal samples between 1.5 K and 300 K. Upon cooling, the Co$^{2+}$ spins develop one-dimensional antiferromagnetic correlations along the chain axis ($c$-axis) below 90 K. Below the first Neel temperature, $T_{N1}$ = 28 K, a partial 3D magnetic order sets in, with propagation vector ${vec k}_1$ = (1/3,1/3,1), the moments aligned along the $c$-axis and every third chain uncorrelated from its neighbours. Only below a second magnetic phase transition at $T_{N2}$ = 13 K does the system achieve a fully ordered state, with two additional propagation vectors: ${vec k}_2$ = (0,0,1) establishes a honeycomb $c$-axis order, in which 1/3 of the chains are subject to a strong effective mean field due to their neighbours whereas 2/3 experience no net field, while ${vec k}_3$ = (1/2,0,1) governs a small, staggered in-plane ordered moment. We conclude that RbCoCl$_3$ is an excellent material to study the physics of Ising chains in a wide variety of temperature-controlled environments.