Probing multi-spinon excitations outside of the two-spinon continuum in the antiferromagnetic spin chain cuprate Sr2CuO3

J. Schlappa (), U. Kumar, K. J. Zhou, S. Singh, M. Mourigal, V. N. Strocov, A. Revcolevschi, L. Patthey, H. M. Rønnow, S. Johnston () and T. Schmitt ()
Additional contact information
J. Schlappa: European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility GmbH
U. Kumar: The University of Tennessee
K. J. Zhou: Paul Scherrer Institut
S. Singh: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
M. Mourigal: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
V. N. Strocov: Paul Scherrer Institut
A. Revcolevschi: Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d’Orsay
L. Patthey: Paul Scherrer Institut
H. M. Rønnow: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
S. Johnston: The University of Tennessee
T. Schmitt: Paul Scherrer Institut

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract One-dimensional (1D) magnetic insulators have attracted significant interest as a platform for studying quasiparticle fractionalization, quantum criticality, and emergent phenomena. The spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with antiferromagnetic nearest neighbour interactions is an important reference system; its elementary magnetic excitations are spin-1/2 quasiparticles called spinons that are created in even numbers. However, while the excitation continuum associated with two-spinon states is routinely observed, the study of four-spinon and higher multi-spinon states is an open area of research. Here we show that four-spinon excitations can be accessed directly in Sr2CuO3 using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) in a region of phase space clearly separated from the two-spinon continuum. Our finding is made possible by the fundamental differences in the correlation function probed by RIXS in comparison to other probes. This advance holds promise as a tool in the search for novel quantum states and quantum spin liquids.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07838-y

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