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B. Bernu

Publications and source records attributed to B. Bernu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Evidence for spin liquid behavior in the frustrated three-dimensional $S = 1/2$ Heisenberg garnet NaCa$_{2}$Cu$_{2}$(VO$_{4}$)$_{3}$

Three-dimensional quantum spin liquids have remained elusive, hindered by reduced quantum fluctuations from larger lattice connectivity inherent to high-dimensional systems. Here, we investigate the remarkable persistence of dynamical short-range magnetic correlations in the nearly body-centered cubic garnet NaCa$_{2}$Cu$_{2}$(VO$_{4}$)$_{3}$ down to $T = 50$ mK, two orders of magnitude below its Curie-Weiss temperature. Using a combination of neutron and muon spectroscopies plus numerical simulations, we demonstrate that a dynamical regime emerges, characterized by a dual response in the inelastic spectrum composed of short-live dispersive excitations and a quasi-elastic component. Strongly frustrated exchange interactions combined with subtle temperature-dependent Jahn-Teller spin-lattice effects are a plausible mechanism to explain the origin of this spin-liquid behavior.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2023

Finite-temperature phase transitions in $S=1/2$ three-dimensional Heisenberg magnets from high-temperature series expansions

Many frustrated spin models on three-dimensional (3D) lattices are currently being investigated, both experimentally and theoretically, and develop new types of long-range orders in their respective phase diagrams. They present finite-temperature phase transitions, most likely in the Heisenberg 3D universality class. However, the combination between the 3D character and frustration makes them hard to study. We present here several methods derived from high-temperature series expansions (HTSEs), which give exact coefficients directly in the thermodynamic limit up to a certain order; for several 3D lattices, supplementary orders than in previous literature are reported for the HTSEs. We introduce an interpolation method able to describe thermodynamic quantities at $T > T_c$, which we use here to reconstruct the magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat and to extract universal and non-universal quantities (for example critical exponents, temperature, energy, entropy, and other parameters related to the phase transition). While the susceptibility associated with the order parameter is not usually known for more exotic long-range orders, the specific heat is indicative of a phase transition for any kind of symmetry breaking. We present examples of applications on ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic models on various 3D lattices and benchmark our results whenever possible.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2022

Heat conduction in herbertsmithite: field dependence at the onset of the quantum spin liquid regime

We report thermal conductivity measurements on single crystals of herbertsmithite, over a wide range of temperatures (0.05-120 K) in magnetic fields up to 15 T. We also report measurements of the thermal Hall effect, found to be vanishingly small. At high temperatures, in the paramagnetic regime, the thermal conductivity has a negligible field dependence. Upon cooling and the development of correlations, the onset of a clear monotonic field dependence below about 20 K signals a new characteristic temperature scale that may reflect the subtle crossover towards the quantum spin liquid regime. Deconfined spinons, if present, are not detected and phonons, as the main carriers of heat, are strongly scattered by the intrinsic spin excitations and the magnetic defects. In view of the colossal fields required to affect the intrinsic spins, most of the field-induced evolution is attributed to the progressive polarization of some magnetic defects. By elaborating a phenomenological model, we extract the magnetization of these main scattering centers which does not resemble the Brillouin function for free spins 1/2, requiring to go beyond the paradigm of isolated paramagnetic spins. Besides, the onset of a nonmonotonic field dependence below about 2 K underlines the existence of another characteristic temperature scale, previously highlighted with other measurements, and sheds new light on the phase diagram of herbertsmithite down to the lowest temperatures.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2022

Non-linear magnons and exchange Hamiltonians of delafossite proximate quantum spin liquids

Quantum spin liquids (QSL) are theoretical states of matter with long-range entanglement and exotic quasiparticles. However, they generally elude quantitative theory, rendering their underlying phases mysterious and hampering efforts to identify experimental QSL states. Here we study triangular lattice resonating valence bond QSL candidate materials KYbSe$_2$ and NaYbSe$_2$. We measure the magnon modes in their 1/3 plateau phase, where quantitative theory is tractable, using inelastic neutron scattering and fit them using nonlinear spin wave theory. We also fit the KYbSe$_2$ heat capacity using high temperature series expansion. Both KYbSe$_2$ fits yield the same magnetic Hamiltonian to within uncertainty, confirming previous estimates and showing the Heisenberg $J_2/J_1$ to be an accurate model for these materials. Most importantly, comparing KYbSe$_2$ and NaYbSe$_2$ shows that smaller $A$-site Na$^+$ ion has a larger $J_2/J_1$ ratio. However, hydrostatic pressure applied to KYbSe$_2$ increases the ordering temperature (a result consistent with density functional theory calculations), indicating that pressure decreases $J_2/J_1$. These results show how periodic table and hydrostatic pressure can tune the $A$YbSe$_2$ materials in a controlled way.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2021

Specific Heat of the Kagome Antiferromagnet Herbertsmithite in High Magnetic Fields

Measuring the specific heat of herbertsmithite single crystals in high magnetic fields (up to $34$ T) allows us to isolate the low-temperature kagome contribution while shifting away extrinsic Schottky-like contributions. The kagome contribution follows an original power law $C_{p}(T\rightarrow0)\propto T^{\alpha}$ with $\alpha\sim1.5$ and is found field-independent between $28$ and $34$ T for temperatures $1\leq T\leq4$ K. These are serious constrains when it comes to replication using low-temperature extrapolations of high-temperature series expansions. We manage to reproduce the experimental observations if about $10$ % of the kagome sites do not contribute. Between $0$ and $34$ T, the computed specific heat has a minute field dependence then supporting an algebraic temperature dependence in zero field, typical of a critical spin liquid ground state. The need for an effective dilution of the kagome planes is discussed and is likely linked to the presence of copper ions on the interplane zinc sites. At very low temperatures and moderate fields, we also report some small field-induced anomalies in the total specific heat and start to elaborate a phase diagram.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2021

Logarithmic divergent specific heat from high-temperature series expansions: application to the two-dimensional XXZ Heisenberg model

We present an interpolation method for the specific heat $c_v(T)$, when there is a phase transition with a logarithmic singularity in $c_v$ at a critical temperature $T=T_c$. The method uses the fact that $c_v$ is constrained both by its high temperature series expansion, and just above $T_c$ by the type of singularity. We test our method on the ferro and antiferromagnetic Ising model on the two-dimensional square, triangular, honeycomb, and kagome lattices, where we find an excellent agreement with the exact solutions. We then explore the XXZ Heisenberg model, for which no exact results are available.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2019

Gapless ground state in the archetypal quantum kagome antiferromagnet ZnCu$_3$(OH)$_6$Cl$_2$

Spin liquids are exotic phases of quantum matter challenging Landau's paradigm of symmetry-breaking phase transitions. Despite strong exchange interactions, spins do not order or freeze down to zero temperature. While well-established for 1D quantum antiferromagnets, in higher dimension where quantum fluctuations are less acute, realizing and understanding such states represent major issues, both theoretical and experimental. In this respect the simplest nearest-neighbor Heisenberg antiferromagnet Hamiltonian on the highly frustrated kagome lattice has proven to be a fascinating and inspiring model. The exact nature of its ground state remains elusive and the existence of a spin-gap is the first key-issue to be addressed to discriminate between the various classes of proposed spin liquids. Here, through low-temperature Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) contrast experiments on high quality single crystals, we single out the kagome susceptibility and the corresponding dynamics in the kagome archetype, the mineral herbertsmithite, ZnCu$_3$(OH)$_6$Cl$_2$. We firmly conclude that this material does not harbor any spin-gap, which restores a convergence with recent numerical results promoting a gapless Dirac spin liquid as the ground state of the Heisenberg kagome antiferromagnet.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2017

Nature of the spin liquid ground state in a breathing kagome compound studied by NMR and series expansion

In the vanadium oxyfluoride compound (NH$_4$)$_2$[C$_7$H$_{14}$N][V$_7$O$_6$F$_{18}$] (DQVOF), the V$^{4+}$ (3d$^1$, $S=1/2$) ions realize a unique, highly frustrated breathing kagome lattice composed of alternately-sized, corner-sharing equilateral triangles. Here we present an $^{17}$O NMR study of DQVOF, which isolates the local susceptibility of the breathing kagome network. By a fit to series expansion we extract the ratio of the interactions within the breathing kagome plane, $J_\triangledown / J_\vartriangle = 0.55(4)$, and the mean antiferromagnetic interaction $\bar{J}=60(7)$~K. Spin lattice, $T_1$, measurements reveal an essentially gapless excitation spectrum with a maximum gap $Δ/ \bar{J}=0.007(7)$. Our study provides new impetus for further theoretical investigations in order to establish whether the gapless spin liquid behavior displayed by DQVOF is intrinsic to its breathing kagome lattice or whether it is due to perturbations to this model, such as a residual coupling of the V$^{4+}$ ions in the breathing kagome planes to the interlayer V$^{3+}$ ($S=1$) spins.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2015

Upper bounds of spin-density wave energies in the homogeneous electron gas

Studying the jellium model in the Hartree-Fock approximation, Overhauser has shown that spin density waves (SDW) can lower the energy of the Fermi gas, but it is still unknown if these SDW are actually relevant for the phase diagram. In this paper, we give a more complete description of SDW states. We show that a modification of the Overhauser ansatz explains the behavior of the jellium at high density compatible with previous Hartree-Fock simulations.

math-ph↗
arXiv2014

Properties of Hartree-Fock solutions of the three-dimensional electron gas

In a previous letter, L. Baguet et al., (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 111}, 166402 (2013)), we presented the ground state phase diagram of the homogeneous electron gas in three dimensions within the Hartree-Fock approximation yielding incommensurate crystal states at high density. Here, we analyze the properties of these solutions. In particular, at high density we find universal behavior of the incommensurate crystal strongly supporting the existence of a spin density wave ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2014

Spin susceptibility of quantum magnets from high to low temperatures

We present a method to compute the magnetic susceptibility of spin systems at all temperatures in one and two dimensions. It relies on an approximation of the entropy versus energy (microcanonical potential function) on the whole range of energies. The intrinsic constraints on the entropy function and a careful treatment of boundary behaviors allow to extend the standard high temperature series expansions (HTE) towards zero temperature, overcoming the divergence of truncated HTE. This method is benchmarked against two one-dimensional solvable models: the Ising model in longitudinal field and the XY model in a transverse field. With ten terms in the HTE, we find a spin susceptibility within a few \% of the exact results in the whole range of temperature. The method is then applied to two two-dimensional models: the supposed-to-be gapped Heisenberg model and the $J_1$-$J_2$-$J_d$ model on the kagome lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2013

Exchange energies of Kapellasite from high-temperature series analysis of the kagome lattice J1-J2-Jd-Heisenberg model

We present a method to build magnetic models for insulators based on high-temperature expansions by fitting both the magnetic susceptibility and the low temperature specific heat data. It is applied to the frustrated magnet kapellasite (Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2) with the J1-J2-Jd-Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice. Experimental data are reproduced with a set of "competing" exchange energies closed to J1 = -12K, J2= -4K and Jd=15.6K, where Jd is the third neighbor exchange energy across the hexagon. Strong constrains between these exchange energies are established. These values confirm the results of B. Fåk et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., 109, 037208 (2012)) regarding the location of kapellasite in the {\it cuboc2} phase of the Heisenberg model. The quality and limits of this modeling are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

Kapellasite: a kagome quantum spin liquid

Magnetic susceptibility, NMR, muSR, and inelastic neutron scattering measurements show that kapellasite, Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2, a geometrically frustrated spin-1/2 kagome antiferromagnet polymorphous with the herbertsmithite mineral, is a gapless spin liquid with frustrated interactions showing unusual dynamic short-range correlations of non-coplanar cuboc2 type which persist down to 20 mK. The Hamiltonian is determined from a fit of a high-temperature series expansion to thermodynamical data. The experimental data are compared to theoretical calculations using the Schwinger-boson approach.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2011

The Hartree-Fock phase diagram of the two-dimensional electron gas

We calculate the ground state phase diagram of the homogeneous electron gas in two dimensions within the Hartree-Fock approximation. At high density, we find stable solutions, where the electronic charge and spin density form an incommensurate crystal having more crystal sites than electrons, whereas the commensurate Wigner crystal is favored at lower densities, rs> 1.22. Our explicit calculations demonstrate that the homogeneous Fermi liquid state -- though being an exact stationary solution of the Hartree-Fock equations -- is never the Hartree-Fock ground state of the electron gas.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2010

Ground state of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas

We consider the three-dimensional electron gas confined by a strictly two-dimensional homogeneous positive charge density at $z=0$. Within the Hartree-Fock approximation, we study the mode structure in the confined direction in the metallic regime. We find, that for $r_s<1.3$ ($r_s<2.5$) the unpolarized (polarized) electron gas starts to populate also the first excited state in the $z$-direction.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2008

Metal-insulator transition in the two-dimensional fully polarized homogeneous electron gas from Hartree-Fock solutions

We determine the ground state of the two-dimensional, fully polarized electron gas within the Hartree-Fock approximation without imposing any particular symmetries on the solutions. At low electronic densities, the Wigner crystal solution is stable, but for higher densities ($r_s$ less than $\sim 3$) we obtain a ground state of different symmetry: the charge density forms a triangular lattice with about 11% more sites than electrons. We argue that this conducting state with broken translational symmetry remains the ground state of the high density region in the thermodynamic limit giving rise to a metal to insulator transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗