We have measured the thermal conductivity along different directions of the S = 1/2 one-dimensional (1D) spin system Sr2V3O9 in magnetic fields up to 14 T. It has been found that the thermal conductivity along the [10-1] direction, k{appa}[10-1], is
large and markedly suppressed by the application of magnetic field, indicating that there is a large contribution of spinons to k{appa}[10-1] and that the spin chains run along the [10-1] direction. The maximum value of the thermal conductivity due to spinons is ~14 W/Km along the [10-1] direction, supporting the empirical law that the magnitude of the thermal conductivity due to spinons is roughly proportional to the antiferromagnetic interaction between the nearest neighboring spins.
In order to clarify the origin of the enhancement of the thermal conductivity in the Bose-Einstein Condensed (BEC) state of field-induced triplons, we have measured the thermal conductivity along the [101] direction parallel to spin-chains, $kappa_{|
[101]}$, and perpendicular to spin-chains, $kappa_{perp[101]}$, of the S=1/2 bond-alternating spin-chain system Pb2V3O9 in magnetic fields up to 14 T. With increasing field at 3 K, it has been found that both $kappa_{|[101]}$ and $kappa_{perp[101]}$ are suppressed in the gapped normal state in low fields. In the BEC state of field-induced triplons in high fields, on the other hand, $kappa_{|[101]}$ is enhanced with increasing field, while $kappa_{perp[101]}$ is suppressed. That is, the thermal conductivity along the direction, where the magnetic interaction is strong, is markedly enhanced in the BEC state. Accordingly, our results suggest that the enhancement of $kappa_{|[101]}$ in the BEC state is caused by the enhancement of the thermal conductivity due to triplons on the basis of the two-fluid model, as in the case of the superfluid state of liquid 4He.
