Publication

Fractional excitations in the square-lattice quantum antiferromagnet

Abstract

Quantum magnets have occupied the fertile ground between many-body theory and low-temperature experiments on real materials since the early days of quantum mechanics. However, our understanding of even deceptively simple systems of interacting spin-1/2 particles is far from complete. The quantum square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet, for example, exhibits a striking anomaly of hitherto unknown origin in its magnetic excitation spectrum. This quantum effect manifests itself for excitations propagating with the specific wavevector (pi,0). We use polarized neutron spectroscopy to fully characterize the magnetic fluctuations in the metal-organic compound Cu(DCOO)(2)center dot 4D(2)O, a known realization of the quantum square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet model. Our experiments reveal an isotropic excitation continuum at the anomaly, which we analyse theoretically using Gutzwiller-projected trial wavefunctions. The excitation continuum is accounted for by the existence of spatially extended pairs of fractional S=1/2 quasiparticles, 2D analogues of 1D spinons. Away from the anomalous wavevector, these fractional excitations are bound and form conventional magnons. Our results establish the existence of fractional quasiparticles in the high-energy spectrum of a quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet, even in the absence of frustration.

About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related concepts (32)
Quantum spin liquid
In condensed matter physics, a quantum spin liquid is a phase of matter that can be formed by interacting quantum spins in certain magnetic materials. Quantum spin liquids (QSL) are generally characterized by their long-range quantum entanglement, fractionalized excitations, and absence of ordinary magnetic order. The quantum spin liquid state was first proposed by physicist Phil Anderson in 1973 as the ground state for a system of spins on a triangular lattice that interact antiferromagnetically with their nearest neighbors, i.
Quasiparticle
In physics, quasiparticles and collective excitations are closely related phenomena arising when a microscopically complicated system such as a solid behaves as if it contained different weakly interacting particles in vacuum. For example, as an electron travels through a semiconductor, its motion is disturbed in a complex way by its interactions with other electrons and with atomic nuclei. The electron behaves as though it has a different effective mass travelling unperturbed in vacuum.
Fractionalization
In quantum mechanics, fractionalization is the phenomenon whereby the quasiparticles of a system cannot be constructed as combinations of its elementary constituents. One of the earliest and most prominent examples is the fractional quantum Hall effect, where the constituent particles are electrons but the quasiparticles carry fractions of the electron charge. Fractionalization can be understood as deconfinement of quasiparticles that together are viewed as comprising the elementary constituents.
Show more
Related publications (40)

Linear and nonlinear magnetization dynamics in permalloy thin films grown on DNA origami and nanopatterned permalloy/YIG hybrid structures

Andrea Mucchietto

Spin waves (SWs) are collective excitations of the spin ensemble in systems with magnetic order. In quantum mechanics, a SW is known as a magnon, which is the quasiparticle describing the quantized nature of these wave-like excitations. Magnonics is the re ...
EPFL2023

Numerical investigation of bound states in quantum magnets

Mithilesh Nayak

Bound-states of particles are an interesting problem in quantum mechanics dating back to 1931 Bethe's solution of spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain. These exotic composite states are realized in quantum magnets and are detectable in inelastic neutron scattering (I ...
EPFL2023

Spinon-like excitations in spin-1/2 quantum antiferromagnets

Irina Safiulina

Quantum magnetism remains a hot topic in condensed matter physics due to its complexity and possible powerful and significant applications in data storage and memory. To understand how the materials can achieve these goals, one should have a clear idea ab ...
EPFL2022
Show more
Related MOOCs (25)
Basic Steps in Magnetic Resonance
A MOOC to discover basic concepts and a wide range of intriguing applications of magnetic resonance to physics, chemistry, and biology
Plasma Physics: Introduction
Learn the basics of plasma, one of the fundamental states of matter, and the different types of models used to describe it, including fluid and kinetic.
Plasma Physics: Introduction
Learn the basics of plasma, one of the fundamental states of matter, and the different types of models used to describe it, including fluid and kinetic.
Show more

Graph Chatbot

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.