No Arabic abstract
We propose two new methods to calculate exactly the spectrum of two spin-${1over 2}$ charge carriers moving in a ferromagnetic background, at zero temperature. We find that if the spins are located on a different sublattice than that on which the fermions move, magnon-mediated effective interactions are very strong and can bind the fermions into low-energy bipolarons with triplet character. This never happens in models where spins and charge carriers share the same lattice, whether they are in the same band or in different bands. This proves that effective one-lattice models do not describe correctly the low-energy part of the two-carrier spectrum of a two-sublattice model, even though they may describe the low-energy single-carrier spectrum appropriately.
We use two recently proposed methods to calculate exactly the spectrum of two spin-${1over 2}$ charge carriers moving in a ferromagnetic background, at zero temperature, for three types of models. By comparing the low-energy states in both the one-carrier and the two-carrier sectors, we analyze whether complex models with multiple sublattices can be accurately described by simpler Hamiltonians, such as one-band models. We find that while this is possible in the one-particle sector, the magnon-mediated interactions which are key to properly describe the two-carrier states of the complex model are not reproduced by the simpler models. We argue that this is true not just for ferromagnetic, but also for antiferromagnetic backgrounds. Our results question the ability of simple one-band models to accurately describe the low-energy physics of cuprate layers.
We perform thermodynamic and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements to study the lattice dynamics (phonons) of a cubic collinear antiferromagnet Cu$_3$TeO$_6$ which hosts topological spin excitations (magnons). While the specific heat and thermal conductivity results show that the thermal transport is dominated by phonons, the deviation of the thermal conductivity from a pure phononic model indicates that there is a strong coupling between magnons and phonons. In the INS measurements, we find a mode in the excitation spectra at 4.5 K, which exhibits a slight downward dispersion around the Brillouin zone center. This mode disappears above the N{e}el temperature, and thus cannot be a phonon. Furthermore, the dispersion is distinct from that of a magnon. Instead, it can be explained by the magnon-polaron mode, which is new collective excitations resulting from the hybridization between magnons and phonons. We consider the suppression of the thermal conductivity and emergence of the magnon-polaron mode to be evidence for magnon-phonon coupling in Cu$_3$TeO$_6$.
We have used Raman scattering to investigate the magnetic excitations and lattice dynamics in the prototypical spin-orbit Mott insulators Sr2IrO4 and Sr3Ir2O7. Both compounds exhibit pronounced two-magnon Raman scattering features with different energies, lineshapes, and temperature dependencies, which in part reflect the different influence of long-range frustrating exchange interactions. Additionally, we find strong Fano asymmetries in the lineshapes of low-energy phonon modes in both compounds, which disappear upon cooling below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperatures. These unusual phonon anomalies indicate that the spin-orbit coupling in Mott-insulating iridates is not sufficiently strong to quench the orbital dynamics in the paramagnetic state.
Relativistic massless Dirac fermions can be probed with high-energy physics experiments, but appear also as low-energy quasi-particle excitations in electronic band structures. In condensed matter systems, their massless nature can be protected by crystal symmetries. Classification of such symmetry-protected relativistic band degeneracies has been fruitful, although many of the predicted quasi-particles still await their experimental discovery. Here we reveal, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the existence of two-dimensional type-II Dirac fermions in the high-temperature superconductor La$_{1.77}$Sr$_{0.23}$CuO$_4$. The Dirac point, constituting the crossing of $d_{x^2-y^2}$ and $d_{z^2}$ bands, is found approximately one electronvolt below the Fermi level ($E_mathrm{F}$) and is protected by mirror symmetry. If spin-orbit coupling is considered, the Dirac point degeneracy is lifted and the bands acquire a topologically non-trivial character. In certain nickelate systems, band structure calculations suggest that the same type-II Dirac fermions can be realised near $E_mathrm{F}$.
We report the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetotransport properties of the Weyl semimetal NbAs. Subtle changes can be seen in the $rho_{xx}(T)$ profiles with pressure up to 2.31 GPa. The Fermi surfaces undergo an anisotropic evolution under pressure: the extremal areas slightly increase in the $mathbf{k_x}$-$mathbf{k_y}$ plane, but decrease in the $mathbf{k_z}$-$mathbf{k_y}$($mathbf{k_x}$) plane. The topological features of the two pockets observed at atmospheric pressure, however, remain unchanged at 2.31 GPa. No superconductivity can be seen down to 0.3 K for all the pressures measured. By fitting the temperature dependence of specific heat to the Debye model, we obtain a small Sommerfeld coefficient $gamma_0=$ 0.09(1) mJ/(mol$cdot$K$^2$) and a large Debye temperature, $Theta_D=$ 450(9) K, confirming a hard crystalline lattice that is stable under pressure. We also studied the Kadowaki-Woods ratio of this low-carrier-density massless system, $R_{KW}=$ 3.2$times 10^4$ $muOmega$ cm mol$^2$ K$^2$ J$^{-2}$. After accounting for the small carrier density in NbAs, this $R_{KW}$ indicates a suppressed transport scattering rate relative to other metals.