arXiv subjects

Biaoyan Hu

Publications and source records attributed to Biaoyan Hu.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Crystal-Field Symmetry Constraints in Layered Honeycomb ErBr$_3$

Crystal-field symmetry restricts the ground-state Kramers doublet of ErBr$_3$ to one of two classes. We show that the compressed octahedral environment selects the class with $\langle ψ_\pm | J^{\pm} | ψ_\mp \rangle = 0$, suppressing the lowest-order $J^{\pm}$-mediated exchange. Thermodynamic measurements reveal two zero-field anomalies at 0.375 and 0.200~K. Under an in-plane magnetic field, the thermodynamic response separates into a phase boundary and a broader crossover line. Inelastic neutron scattering measurements at 2 K reveal no well-defined low-energy dispersive magnetic modes. These results connect the ground-state symmetry with the field-dependent thermodynamic response of ErBr$_3$, providing a microscopic starting point for understanding its low-energy magnetic behavior.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Möbius-topological auxiliary function for $f$ electrons

$f$-electron systems exhibit a subtle interplay between strong spin--orbit coupling and crystal-field effects, producing complex energy landscapes that are computationally demanding. We introduce auxiliary functions, constructed by extending hydrogen-like wave functions through a modification of the Legendre function. These functions often possess a Möbius-like topology, satisfying $ψ(φ) = -ψ(φ+ 2π)$, while their squared modulus respects inversion symmetry. By aligning $|ψ|^2$ with the symmetry of the crystal field, they allow rapid determination of eigenstate structures without the need for elaborate calculations. The agreement with established results indicates that these functions capture the essential physics while offering considerable computational simplification.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Exploration of magnetoelastic deformations in spin-chain compound CuBr$_2$

We investigate a spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ antiferromagnet, CuBr$_2$, which has quasi-one-dimensional structural motifs. The system has previously been observed to exhibit unusual Raman modes possibly due to a locally deformed crystal structure driven by the low-dimensional magnetism. Using hard X-ray scattering and neutron total scattering, here we aim to verify a specific form of tetramerized lattice deformation proposed in the previous study. Apart from diffuse scattering signals which we can reproduce by performing a thorough modeling of the lattice's thermal vibrations, we do not observe evidence for a tetramerized lattice structure within our detection sensitivity. As a result, it is more likely that the unusual Raman modes in CuBr$_2$ arise from classical magnon-phonon hybridization, rather than from quantum spin-singlet-driven lattice deformation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Chern numbers of topological phonon band crossing determined with inelastic neutron scattering

Topological invariants in the band structure, such as Chern numbers, are crucial for the classification of topological matters and dictate the occurrence of exotic properties, yet their direct spectroscopic determination has been largely limited to electronic bands. Here, we use inelastic neutron scattering in conjunction with ab initio calculations to identify a variety of topological phonon band crossings in MnSi and CoSi single crystals. We find a distinct relation between the Chern numbers of a band-crossing node and the scattering intensity modulation in momentum space around the node. Given sufficiently high resolution, our method can be used to determine arbitrarily large Chern numbers of topological phonon band-crossing nodes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic molecular orbitals in MnSi

A large body of knowledge about magnetism is attained from models of interacting spins, which usually reside on magnetic ions. Proposals beyond the ionic picture are uncommon and seldom verified by direct observations in conjunction with microscopic theory. Here, using inelastic neutron scattering to study the itinerant near-ferromagnet MnSi, we find that the system's fundamental magnetic units are interconnected, extended molecular orbitals consisting of three Mn atoms each, rather than individual Mn atoms. This result is further corroborated by magnetic Wannier orbitals obtained by ab initio calculations. It contrasts the ionic picture with a concrete example, and presents a novel regime of the spin waves where the wavelength is comparable to the spatial extent of the molecular orbitals. Our discovery brings important insights into not only the magnetism of MnSi, but also a broad range of magnetic quantum materials where structural symmetry, electron itinerancy and correlations act in concert.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Observation of Unusual Magnetoelastic Effects in a Quasi-1D Spiral Magnet

We present a systematic study of spin and lattice dynamics in the quasi-one-dimensional spiral magnet CuBr2, using Raman scattering in conjunction with infrared and neutron spectroscopy. Along with the development of spin correlations upon cooling, we observe a rich set of broad Raman bands at energies that correspond to phonon-dispersion energies near the one-dimensional magnetic wave vector. The low-energy bands further exhibit a distinct intensity maximum at the spiral magnetic ordering temperature. We attribute these unusual observations to two possible underlying mechanisms: (1) formation of hybrid spin-lattice excitations, and/or (2) "quadrumerization" of the lattice caused by spin-singlet entanglement in competition with the spiral magnetism.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Prominent role of spin-orbit coupling in FeSe

In most existing theories for iron-based superconductors, spin-orbit coupling (SOC) has been assumed insignificant. Even though recent experiments have revealed an influence of SOC on the electronic band structure, whether SOC fundamentally affects magnetism and superconductivity remains an open question. Here we use spin-polarised inelastic neutron scattering to show that collective low-energy spin fluctuations in the orthorhombic (or "nematic") phase of FeSe possess nearly no in-plane component. Such spin-space anisotropy can only be caused by SOC. It is present over an energy range greater than the superconducting gap 2$Δ_\mathrm{sc}$ and gets fully inherited in the superconducting state, resulting in a distinct $c$-axis polarised "spin resonance". Our result demonstrates the importance of SOC in defining the low-energy spin excitations in FeSe, which helps to elucidate the nearby magnetic instabilities and the debated interplay between spin and orbital degrees of freedom. The prominent role of SOC also implies a possible unusual nature of the superconducting state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗