arXiv · 2110.06666
Fractional spin excitations in the infinite-layer cuprate CaCuO$_2$
Abstract
We use resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) to investigate the magnetic dynamics of the infinite-layer cuprate CaCuO2. We find that close to the (1/2,0) point the single magnon decays into a broad continuum of excitations accounting for 80% of the total magnetic spectral weight. Polarization resolved RIXS spectra reveal the overwhelming dominance of spin-flip ($ΔS = 1$) characterof this continuum with respect to the $ΔS= 0$ multimagnon contributions. Moreover, its incident energy dependence is identical to that of the magnon, supporting a common physical origin. We propose that the continuum originates from the decay of the magnon into spinon pairs, and we relate it to the exceptionally high ring exchange $J_\mathrm{c} \sim J_1$ of CaCuO2. In the infinite layer cuprates long-range and multi-site hopping integrals are pivotal and amplify the 2D quantum magnetism effects in spite the 3D antiferromagnetic Néel order.
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Leonardo Martinelli, Davide Betto, Kurt Kummer, Riccardo Arpaia, Lucio Braicovich, Daniele Di Castro, Nicholas B. Brookes, Marco Moretti Sala, Giacomo Ghiringhelli. 2021-10-13. Fractional spin excitations in the infinite-layer cuprate CaCuO$_2$. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.12.021041
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