Evidence for magnetic quasiparticle phase separation in a quasi-one-dimensional quantum magnet


Abstract in English

Magnetic systems composed of weakly coupled spin-1/2 chains are fertile ground for hosting the fractional magnetic excitations that are intrinsic to interacting fermions in one-dimension (1D). However, the exotic physics arising from the quantum many-body interactions beyond 1D are poorly understood in materials of this class. Spinons and psinons are two mutually exclusive low-energy magnetic quasiparticles; the excitation seen depends on the ground state of the spin chain. Here, we present inelastic neutron scattering and neutron diffraction evidence for their coexistence in SrCo$_{2}$V$_{2}$O$_{8}$ at milli-Kelvin temperatures in part of the Neel phase (2.4 T $leq$ $mu_mathrm{{0}}$H $<$ 3.9 T) and possibly also the field-induced spin density wave phase up to the highest field probed ($mu_mathrm{{0}}$H $geq$ 3.9 T, $mu_mathrm{{0}}$H$_mathbf{mathrm{{max}}}$ = 5.5 T). These results unveil a novel spatial phase inhomogeneity for the weakly coupled spin chains in this compound. This quantum dynamical phase separation is a new phenomenon in quasi-1D quantum magnets, highlighting the non-trivial consequences of inter-chain coupling.

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