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Title: Novel Strongly Spin-Orbit Coupled Quantum Dimer Magnet: Yb 2 Si 2 O 7

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3];  [2];  [4]
  1. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
  2. Univ. of Sherbrooke, QB (Canada)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); Canadian Inst. for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ON (United States)

The quantum dimer magnet (QDM) is the canonical example of quantum magnetism. The QDM state consists of entangled nearest-neighbor spin dimers and often exhibits a field-induced triplon Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) phase. We report on a new QDM in the strongly spin-orbit coupled, distorted honeycomb-lattice material Yb2Si2O7. Our single crystal neutron scattering, specific heat, and ultrasound velocity measurements reveal a gapped singlet ground state at zero field with sharp, dispersive excitations. We find a field-induced magnetically ordered phase reminiscent of a BEC phase, with exceptionally low critical fields of Hc1 ~ 0.4 and Hc2 ~ 1.4 T. Using inelastic neutron scattering in an applied magnetic field we observe a Goldstone mode (gapless to within δE=0.037 meV) that persists throughout the entire field-induced magnetically ordered phase, suggestive of the spontaneous breaking of U(1) symmetry expected for a triplon BEC. However, in contrast to other well-known cases of this phase, the high-field (μ0H≥1.2 T) part of the phase diagram in Yb2Si2O7 is interrupted by an unusual regime signaled by a change in the field dependence of the ultrasound velocity and magnetization, as well as the disappearance of a sharp anomaly in the specific heat. Finally, these measurements raise the question of how anisotropy in strongly spin-orbit coupled materials modifies the field induced phases of QDMs.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; DMR-1611217
OSTI ID:
1607232
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 123, Issue 2; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 23 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid behavior and spinon confinement in YbAlO3 journal February 2019
Field-induced magnetic transition and spin fluctuations in the quantum spin-liquid candidate CsYbSe 2 journal December 2019
Synthesis, structure, and electronic properties of the Li 11 RbGd 4 Te 6 O 30 single crystal journal January 2020
Low-temperature spin dynamics in the TmFeO 3 orthoferrite with a non-Kramers ion journal January 2020

Figures / Tables (4)