No Arabic abstract
The Heisenberg model for S=1/2 describes the interacting spins of electrons localized on lattice sites due to strong repulsion. It is the simplest strong-coupling model in condensed matter physics with wide-spread applications. Its relevance has been boosted further by the discovery of curate high-temperature superconductors. In leading order, their undoped parent compounds realize the Heisenberg model on square-lattices. Much is known about the model, but mostly at small wave vectors, i.e., for long-range processes, where the physics is governed by spin waves (magnons), the Goldstone bosons of the long-range ordered antiferromagnetic phase. Much less, however, is known for short-range processes, i.e., at large wave vectors. Yet these processes are decisive for understanding high-temperature superconductivity. Recent reports suggest that one has to resort to qualitatively different fractional excitations, spinons. By contrast, we present a comprehensive picture in terms of dressed magnons with strong mutual attraction on short length scales. The resulting spectral signatures agree strikingly with experimental data
The square-lattice quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet displays a pronounced anomaly of unknown origin in its magnetic excitation spectrum. The anomaly manifests itself only for short wavelength excitations propagating along the direction connecting nearest neighbors. Using polarized neutron spectroscopy, we have fully characterized the magnetic fluctuations in the model metal-organic compound CFTD, revealing an isotropic continuum at the anomaly indicative of fractional excitations. A theoretical framework based on the Gutzwiller projection method is developed to explain the origin of the continuum at the anomaly. This indicates that the anomaly arises from deconfined fractional spin-1/2 quasiparticle pairs, the 2D analog of 1D spinons. Away from the anomaly the conventional spin-wave spectrum is recovered as pairs of fractional quasiparticles bind to form spin-1 magnons. Our results therefore establish the existence of fractional quasiparticles in the simplest model two dimensional antiferromagnet even in the absence of frustration.
The pure-quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation, a semiclassical method based on the path-integral formulation of quantum statistical mechanics, is applied to the study of the thermodynamic behaviour of the quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square lattice (QHAF). Results for various properties are obtained for different values of the spin and successfully compared with experimental data.
We report that a possible Z2 quantum spin liquid (QSL) can be observed in a new class of frustrated system: spinor bosons subject to a pi flux in a square lattice. We construct a new class of Ginsburg-Landau (GL) type of effective action to classify possible quantum or topological phases at any coupling strengths. It can be used to reproduce the frustrated SF with the 4 sublattice $ 90^{circ} $ coplanar spin structure plus its excitations in the weak coupling limit and the FM Mott plus its excitations in the strong coupling limit achieved in our previous work. It also establishes deep and intrinsic connections between the GL effective action and the order from quantum disorder (OFQD) phenomena in the weak coupling limit. Most importantly, it predicts two possible new phases at intermediate couplings: a FM SF phase or a frustrated magnetic Mott phase. We argue that the latter one is more likely and melts into a $ Z_2 $ quantum spin liquid (QSL) phase. If the heating issue can be under a reasonable control at intermediate couplings $ U/t sim 1 $, the topological order of the $ Z_2 $ QSL maybe uniquely probed by the current cold atom or photonic experimental techniques.
Static and dynamic properties of the quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet K$_2$V$_3$O$_8$ have been investigated by $^{51}$V-NMR experiments on nonmagnetic V$^{5+}$ sites. Above the structural transition temperature $T_{rm{S}}$ = 115 K, NMR spectra are fully compatible with the $P4bm$ space group symmetry. The formation of superstructure below $T_{rm{S}}$ causes splitting of the NMR lines, which get broadened at lower temperatures so that individual peaks are not well resolved. Evolution of NMR spectra with magnetic field along $c$-axis below the magnetic transition temperature $T_{rm{N}} sim 4$ K is qualitatively consistent with a simple N{e}el order and a spin flop transition. However, broad feature of the spectra does not rule out possible incommensurate spin structure. The spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ below $T_{rm{N}}$ shows huge enhancement for a certain range of magnetic field, which is independent of temperature and attributed to cross relaxation due to anomalously large nuclear spin-spin coupling between V$^{5+}$ and magnetic V$^{4+}$ sites. The results indicate strong gapless spin fluctuations, which could arise from incommesurate orders or complex spin textures.
We report results of magnetization and $^{31}$P NMR measurements under high pressure up to 6.4~GPa on RbMoOPO$_4$Cl, which is a frustrated square-lattice antiferromagnet with competing nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor interactions. Anomalies in the pressure dependences of the NMR shift and the transferred hyperfine coupling constants indicate a structural phase transition at 2.6~GPa, which is likely to break mirror symmetry and triggers significant change of the exchange interactions. In fact, the NMR spectra in magnetically ordered states reveal a change from the columnar antiferromagnetic (CAF) order below 3.3~GPa to the N{e}el antiferromagnetic (NAF) order above 3.9~GPa. The spin lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ also indicates a change of dominant magnetic fluctuations from CAF-type to NAF-type with pressure. Although the NMR spectra in the intermediate pressure region between 3.3 and 3.9 GPa show coexistence of the CAF and NAF phases, a certain component of $1/T_1$ shows paramagnetic behavior with persistent spin fluctuations, leaving possibility for a quantum disordered phase. The easy-plane anisotropy of spin fluctuations with unusual nonmonotonic temperature dependence at ambient pressure gets reversed to the Ising anisotropy at high pressures. This unexpected anisotropic behavior for a spin 1/2 system may be ascribed to the strong spin-orbit coupling of Mo-4$d$ electrons.