Search

We determine the phase diagram of copper nitrate Cu(NO3)2 . 2.5D2O in the context of quantum phase transitions and novel states of matter. We establish this compound as an ideal candidate to study quasi-ID Luttinger liquids, 3D Bose-Einstein-Condensation of triplons, and the crossover between ID and 3D physics. Magnetocaloric effect, magnetization, and neutron scattering data provide clear evidence for transitions into a Luttinger liquid regime and a 3D long-range ordered phase as a function of held and temperature. Theoretical simulations of this model material allow us tofully establish the phase diagram and to discuss it in the context of dimerized spin systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a combined neutron diffraction and bulk thermodynamic study of the natural mineral linarite PbCuS04(OH)2, this way establishing the nature of the ground-state magnetic order. An incommensurate magnetic ordering with a propagation vector k = (0, 0.186,½) was found below TN = 2.8 K in a zero magnetic field. The analysis of the neutron diffraction data yields an elliptical helical structure, where one component (0.638µB) is in the monoclinic ac plane forming an angle with the a axis of 27(2)°, while the other component (0.833/Uß) points along the b axis. From a detailed thermodynamic study of bulk linarite in magnetic fields up to 12 T, applied along the chain direction, a very rich magnetic phase diagram is established, with multiple field-induced phases, and possibly short-range-order effects occurring in high fields. Our data establish linarite as a model compound of the frustrated one-dimensional spin chain, with ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor interactions. Long-range magnetic order is brought about by interchain coupling 1 order of magnitude smaller than the intrachain coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present inelastic neutron scattering measurements from the frustrated, quantum spin-1/2 chain material linarite, PbCuSO4 (OH)2. Time of flight data, taken at 0.5 K and zero applied magnetic field reveals low-energy dispersive spin wave excitations below 1.5 meV both parallel and perpendicular to the Cu-chain direction. From this we confirm that the interchain couplings within linarite are around 10% of the nearest neighbor intrachain interactions. We analyze the data within both linear spin-wave theory and density matrix renormalization group theories and establish the main magnetic exchange interactions and the simplest realistic Hamiltonian for this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature neutron diffraction and NMR studies of field-induced phases in linarite are presented for magnetic fields H∥b axis. A two-step spin-flop transition is observed, as well as a transition transforming a helical magnetic ground state into an unusual magnetic phase with sine-wave-modulated moments ∥H. An effective J1-J2 single-chain model with a magnetization-dependent frustration ratio αeff = -J2/J1 is proposed. The latter is governed by skew interchain couplings and shifted to the vicinity of the ferromagnetic critical point. It explains qualitatively the observation of a rich variety of exotic longitudinal collinear spin-density wave, SDWp, states (9≥p≥2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tetragonal compound UPt2SI2 has been characterized as a moderately mass-enhanced system with an anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) ground state below TN = 32 K. Here, we present an extensive study of the behavior in high magnetic fields. We have performed pulsed field magnetization and static field resistivity measurements on single crystalline samples UPt2SI2. Along the crystallographic a axis, at low temperatures, we find a metamagnetic-like transition in fields of the order 40 T, possibly indicating a first-order transition. Along the crystallographic c axis, in magnetic fields of B ≥ 24 T, we find distinct anomalies in both properties. From our analysis of the data we can distinguish new high-field phases above the AFM ground state. We discuss the emergence of these new phases in the context of Fermi surface effects and the possible occurrence of a Lifshitz or electronic topological transition, this in contrast to previous modelings of UPt2SI2 based on crystal electric field effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive macroscopic thermodynamic study of the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) s = ½ frustrated spin-chain system linarite. Susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat, magnetocaloric effect, magnetostriction, and thermal-expansion measurements were performed to characterize the magnetic phase diagram. In particular, for magnetic fields along the b axis five different magnetic regions have been detected, some of them exhibiting short-range-order effects. The experimental magnetic entropy and magnetization are compared to a theoretical modeling of these quantities using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) and transfer matrix renormalization group (TMRG) approaches. Within the framework of a purely 1D isotropic model Hamiltonian, only a qualitative agreement between theory and the experimental data can be achieved. Instead, it is demonstrated that a significant symmetric anisotropic exchange of about 10% is necessary to account for the basic experimental observations, including the three-dimensional (3D) saturation field, and which in turn might stabilize a triatic (three-magnon) multipolar phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the ground-state phase diagram of a frustrated spin-1/2 four-leg tube. Using a variety of complementary techniques, namely, density matrix renormalization group, exact diagonalization, Schwinger boson mean-field theory, quantum Monte Carlo, and series expansion, we explore the parameter space of this model in the regime of all-antiferromagnetic exchange. In contrast to unfrustrated four-leg tubes, we uncover a rich phase diagram. Apart from the Luttinger liquid fixed point in the limit of decoupled legs, this comprises several gapped ground states, namely, a plaquette, an incommensurate, and an antiferromagnetic quasispin-2 chain phase. The transitions between these phases are analyzed in terms of total energy and static structure factor calculations and are found to be of (weak) first order. Despite the absence of long-range order in the quantum case, remarkable similarities to the classical phase diagram are uncovered, with the exception of the icommensurate regime, which is strongly renormalized by quantum fluctuations. In the limit of large leg exchange, the tube exhibits a deconfinement crossover from gapped magnon-like excitations to spinons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature neutron diffraction and NMR studies of field-induced phases in linarite are presented for magnetic fields H∥b axis. A two-step spin-flop transition is observed, as well as a transition transforming a helical magnetic ground state into an unusual magnetic phase with sine-wave-modulated moments ∥H. An effective J[over ˜]_{1}-J[over ˜]_{2} single-chain model with a magnetization-dependent frustration ratio α_{eff}=-J[over ˜]_{2}/J[over ˜]_{1} is proposed. The latter is governed by skew interchain couplings and shifted to the vicinity of the ferromagnetic critical point. It explains qualitatively the observation of a rich variety of exotic longitudinal collinear spin-density wave, SDW_{p}, states (9≥p≥2).

We present a combined neutron diffraction and bulk thermodynamic study of the natural mineral linarite PbCuSO4(OH)2, this way establishing the nature of the ground-state magnetic order. An incommensurate magnetic ordering with a propagation vector k=(0,0.186,1/2) was found below T(N)=2.8 K in a zero magnetic field. The analysis of the neutron diffraction data yields an elliptical helical structure, where one component (0.638μ(B)) is in the monoclinic ac plane forming an angle with the a axis of 27(2)°, while the other component (0.833μ(B)) points along the b axis. From a detailed thermodynamic study of bulk linarite in magnetic fields up to 12 T, applied along the chain direction, a very rich magnetic phase diagram is established, with multiple field-induced phases, and possibly short-range-order effects occurring in high fields. Our data establish linarite as a model compound of the frustrated one-dimensional spin chain, with ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor interactions. Long-range magnetic order is brought about by interchain coupling 1 order of magnitude smaller than the intrachain coupling.

We measured the free Brownian motion of individual spherical and the Brownian rotation of individual nonspherical micrometer-sized particles in rarefied gas. Measurements were done with high spatial and temporal resolution under microgravity conditions in the Bremen drop tower so that the transition from diffusive to ballistic motion could be resolved. We find that the translational and rotational diffusion can be described by the relation given by Uhlenbeck and Ornstein [Phys. Rev. 36, 823 (1930)]. Measurements of rotational Brownian motion can be used for the determination of the moments of inertia of small particles.