arXiv subjects

E. A. Ghioldi

Publications and source records attributed to E. A. Ghioldi.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Spin dynamics of the spin-1 triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet K$_2$Ni(SeO$_3$)$_2$

Strong quantum fluctuations and unconventional spin dynamics are well established in the spin-1/2 triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet. However, their survival in the spin-1 case remains an open question. We investigate the spin dynamics of K$_2$Ni(SeO$_3$)$_2$, a nearly ideal spin-1 triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet, using inelastic neutron scattering. Below the ordering temperature $T_{\rm N}$, we observe coherent one-magnon excitations coexisting with a broad high-energy continuum. Two complementary approaches, a spectrally consistent $1/S$-corrected spin wave theory and a beyond-mean-field Schwinger boson theory, reproduce different facets of the continuum. Neither alone is complete, demonstrating substantial quantum fluctuations survive for $S\!=\!1$ and are reflected primarily in the spectral distribution of the continuum. Above $T_{\rm N}$, the continuum bandwidth is conserved while spectral weight is redistributed as magnons lose spatial coherence. Our results establish K$_2$Ni(SeO$_3$)$_2$ as a model triangular antiferromagnet, identifying bandwidth conservation and the distribution of spectral weight within the continuum as organizing principles to understand the spin dynamics of ordered quantum magnets beyond spin-1/2. Our results highlight the need for controlled calculations of the interacting multi-magnon sector of 2D antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Nonlinear light cone spreading of correlations in a triangular quantum magnet: a hard quantum simulation target

Dynamical correlations of quantum many-body systems are typically analyzed in the momentum space and frequency basis. However, quantum simulators operate more naturally in real space, real time settings. Here we analyze the real-space time-dependent van Hove spin correlations $G(r,t)$ of the 2D triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe$_2$ as obtained from high-resolution Fourier-transformed neutron spectroscopy. We compare this to $G(r,t)$ from five theoretical simulations of the well-established spin Hamiltonian. Our analysis reveals non-linear sub-ballistic low-temperature transport in KYbSe$_2$ which none of the current state-of-the-art numerical or field-theoretical methods reproduce. Our observation signals an emergent collective hydrodynamics, perhaps associated with the quantum critical phase of a quantum spin liquid, and provides an ideal benchmark for future quantum simulations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Large-$N$ SU(4) Schwinger boson theory for coupled-dimer antiferromagnets

We develop a systematic large-$N$ expansion based on the Schwinger boson representation of SU(4) coherent states of dimers for the paradigmatic spin-$1/2$ bilayer square lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet. This system exhibits a quantum phase transition between a quantum paramagnetic state and a Néel order state, driven by the coupling constant $g = J'/J$, which is defined as the ratio between the inter-dimer $J'$ and intra-dimer $J$ exchange interactions. We demonstrate that this approach accurately describes static and dynamic properties on both sides of the quantum phase transition. The critical coupling constant $g_c \approx 0.42$ and the dynamic spin structure factor reproduce quantum Monte Carlo results with high precision. Notably, the $1/N$ corrections reveal the longitudinal mode of the magnetically ordered phase along with the overdamping caused by its decay into the two-magnon continuum. The present large-$N$ $SU(N)$ Schwinger boson theory can be extended to more general cases of quantum paramagnets that undergo a quantum phase transition into magnetically ordered states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Thermal decay of two-spinon bound states in quasi-2D triangular antiferromagnets

We analyze the temperature evolution of the anomalous magnetic spectrum of the spin-1/2 triangular quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet, which is proximate to a quantum phase transition leading to a spin liquid phase. Recently, its low energy excitations have been identified with two-spinon bound states, well defined in an ample region of the Brillouin zone. In this work, we compute the thermal magnetic spectrum within a Schwinger boson approach, incorporating Gaussian fluctuations around the saddle-point approximation. In order to account for a finite Néel temperature $T_N$, we incorporate an exchange interaction between triangular layers. As temperature rises, the dispersion relation of the two-spinon bound states, representing single-magnon excitations, remains unchanged but becomes mixed with the thermally activated spinon continuum. Consequently, a crossover occurs at a temperature $T^* \simeq 0.75 T_N$, defining a {\it terminated Goldstone regime} between $T^*$ and $T_N$, where only the magnons close to the Goldstone modes survive as well-defined excitations, up to the Néel temperature. Our results support the idea that the fractionalization of magnons near a transition to a disordered phase can be extended to more realistic quasi-2D frustrated antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Derivation of low-energy Hamiltonians for heavy-fermion Materials

By utilizing a multi-orbital periodic Anderson model with parameters obtained from \textit{ab initio} band structure calculations, combined with degenerate perturbation theory, we derive effective Kondo-Heisenberg and spin Hamiltonians that capture the interaction among the effective magnetic moments. This derivation encompasses fluctuations via both nonmagnetic $4f^0$ and magnetic $4f^2$ virtual states, and its accuracy is confirmed through comparison with experimental data obtained from CeIn$_3$. The significant agreement observed between experimental results and theoretical predictions underscores the potential of deriving minimal models from first-principles calculations for achieving a quantitative description of $4f$ materials. Moreover, our microscopic derivation unveils the underlying origin of anisotropy in the exchange interaction between Kramers doublets, shedding light on the conditions under which this anisotropy may be weak compared to the isotropic contribution.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Anomalous continuum scattering and higher-order van Hove singularity in the strongly anisotropic S = 1/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet

The S = 1/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet (TLAF) is a paradigmatic example of frustrated quantum magnetism. An ongoing challenge involves understanding the influence of exchange anisotropy on the collective behavior within such systems. Using inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and advanced calculation techniques, we have studied the low and high-temperature spin dynamics of Ba2La2CoTe2O12 (BLCTO): a Co2+-based Jeff = 1/2 TLAF that exhibits 120° order below TN = 3.26 K. We determined the spin Hamiltonian by fitting the energy-resolved paramagnetic excitations measured at T > TN, revealing exceptionally strong easy-plane XXZ anisotropy. Below TN, the excitation spectrum exhibits a high energy continuum having a larger spectral weight than the single-magnon modes, suggesting a scenario characterized by a spinon confinement length that markedly exceeds the lattice spacing. We conjecture that this phenomenon arises from the proximity to a quantum melting point, even under strong easy-plane XXZ anisotropy. Finally, we highlight characteristic flat features in the excitation spectrum, which are connected to higher-order van Hove singularities in the magnon dispersion directly induced by easy-plane XXZ anisotropy. Our results provide a rare experimental insight into the nature of highly anisotropic S = 1/2 TLAFs between the Heisenberg and XY limits.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Excess heat capacity in magnetically ordered Ce heavy fermion metals

We study the magnetic heat capacity of a series of magnetically ordered Ce-based heavy fermion materials, which show an anomalous $T^3$ heat capacity in excess of the phonon contribution in many materials. For compounds for which magnon models have been worked out, we show that the local-moment magnon heat capacity derived from the measured magnon spectra underestimates the experimental specific heat. The excess heat capacity reveals increasing density of states with increasing energy, akin to a pseudogap. We show that this anomalous temperature-dependent term is not associated with proximity to a quantum critical point (QCP), but is strongly correlated with $T_N$, indicating the anomalous excitations are governed by the magnetic exchange interaction. This insight may hold key information for understanding magnetically ordered heavy fermions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

A microscopic Kondo lattice model for the heavy fermion antiferromagnet CeIn$_3$

Electrons at the border of localization generate exotic states of matter across all classes of strongly correlated electron materials and many other quantum materials with emergent functionality. Heavy electron metals are a model example, in which magnetic interactions arise from the opposing limits of localized and itinerant electrons. This remarkable duality is intimately related to the emergence of a plethora of novel quantum matter states such as unconventional superconductivity, electronic-nematic states, hidden order and most recently topological states of matter such as topological Kondo insulators and Kondo semimetals and putative chiral superconductors. The outstanding challenge is that the archetypal Kondo lattice model that captures the underlying electronic dichotomy is notoriously difficult to solve for real materials. Here we show, using the prototypical strongly-correlated antiferromagnet CeIn$_3$, that a multi-orbital periodic Anderson model embedded with input from ab initio bandstructure calculations can be reduced to a simple Kondo-Heisenberg model, which captures the magnetic interactions quantitatively. We validate this tractable Hamiltonian via high-resolution neutron spectroscopy that reproduces accurately the magnetic soft modes in CeIn$_3$, which are believed to mediate unconventional superconductivity. Our study paves the way for a quantitative understanding of metallic quantum states such as unconventional superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Witnessing quantum criticality and entanglement in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe$_2$

The Heisenberg triangular lattice quantum spin liquid and the phase transitions to nearby magnetic orders have received much theoretical attention, but clear experimental manifestations of these states are rare. This work investigates a new spin-half Yb$^{3+}$ delafossite material, KYbSe$_2$, whose inelastic neutron scattering spectra reveal a diffuse continuum with a sharp lower bound. Applying entanglement witnesses to the data reveals significant multipartite entanglement spread between its neighbors, and analysis of its magnetic exchange couplings shows close proximity to the triangular lattice Heisenberg quantum spin liquid. Key features of the data are reproduced by Schwinger-boson theory and tensor network calculations with a significant second-neighbor coupling $J_2$. The strength of the dynamical structure factor at the $K$ point shows a scaling collapse in $\hbarω/k_\mathrm{B}T$ down to 0.3 K, indicating a second-order quantum phase transition. Comparing this to previous theoretical work suggests that the proximate phase at larger $J_2$ is a gapped $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquid, resolving a long-debated issue. We thus show that KYbSe$_2$ is close to a spin liquid phase, which in turn sheds light on the theoretical phase diagram itself.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Evidence of Two-Spinon Bound States in the Magnetic Spectrum of Ba$_3$CoSb$_2$O$_9$

Recent inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments of the triangular antiferromagnet Ba$_3$CoSb$_2$O$_9$ revealed strong deviations from semiclassical theories. We demonstrate that key features of the INS data are well reproduced by a parton Schwinger boson theory beyond the saddle-point approximation. The measured magnon dispersion is well reproduced by the dispersion of two-spinon bound states (poles of the emergent gauge fields propagator), while the low-energy continuum scattering is reproduced by a quasifree two-spinon continuum, suggesting that a free-spinon gas is a good initial framework to study magnetically ordered states near a quantum melting point.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Schwinger boson theory of ordered magnets

The Schwinger boson theory provides a natural path for treating quantum spin systems with large quantum fluctuations. In contrast to semi-classical treatments, this theory allows us to describe a continuous transition between magnetically ordered and spin liquid states, as well as the continuous evolution of the corresponding excitation spectrum. The square lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet is one of the first models that was approached with the Schwinger boson theory. Here we revisit this problem to reveal several subtle points that were omitted in previous treatments and that are crucial to further develop this formalism. These points include the freedom for the choice of the saddle point (Hubbard-Stratonovich decoupling and choice of the condensate) and the $1/N$ expansion in the presence of a condensate. A key observation is that the spinon condensate leads to Feynman diagrams that include contributions of different order in $1/N$, which must be accounted to get a qualitatively correct excitation spectrum. We demonstrate that a proper treatment of these contributions leads to an exact cancellation of the single-spinon poles of the dynamical spin structure factor, as expected for a magnetically ordered state. The only surviving poles are the ones arising from the magnons (two-spinon bound states), which are the true collective modes of an ordered magnet.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Interplay between spatial anisotropy and further exchange interactions in the triangular Heisenberg model

We investigate the interplay between spatial anisotropy and further exchange interactions in the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg antiferromagnetic model on a triangular lattice. We use the Schwinger boson theory by including Gaussian fluctuations above the mean-field approach. The phase diagram exhibits a strong reduction of the long range collinear and incommensurate spirals regions with respect to the mean-field ones. This reduction is accompanied by the emergence of its short range order counterparts, leaving an ample room for $0$-flux and nematic spin liquid regions. Remarkably, within the neighborhood of the spatially isotropic line, there is a range where the spirals are so fragile that only the commensurate $120^{\circ}$ Néel ones survive. The good agreement with recent variational Monte Carlo predictions gives support to the rich phase diagram induced by spatial anisotropy.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Large-$S$ limit of the large-$N$ theory for the triangular antiferromagnet

Large-$S$ and large-$N$ theories (spin value $S$ and spinor component number $N$) are complementary, and sometimes conflicting, approaches to quantum magnetism. While large-$S$ spin-wave theory captures the correct semiclassical behavior, large-$N$ theories, on the other hand, emphasize the quantumness of spin fluctuations. In order to evaluate the possibility of the non-trivial recovery of the semiclassical magnetic excitations within a large-$N$ approach, we compute the large-$S$ limit of the dynamic spin structure of the triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet within a Schwinger boson spin representation. We demonstrate that, only after the incorporation of Gaussian ($1/N$) corrections to the saddle-point ($N=\infty$) approximation, we are able to exactly reproduce the linear spin wave theory results in the large-$S$ limit. The key observation is that the effect of $1/N$ corrections is to cancel out exactly the main contribution of the saddle-point solution; while the collective modes (magnons) consist of two spinon bound states arising from the poles of the RPA propagator. This result implies that it is essential to consider the interaction of the spinons with the emergent gauge fields and that the magnon dispersion relation should not be identified with that of the saddle-point spinons.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Dynamical structure factor of the triangular antiferromagnet: the Schwinger boson theory beyond the mean field approach

We compute the zero temperature dynamical structure factor $S({\bf q},ω)$ of the triangular lattice Heisenberg model (TLHM) using a Schwinger boson approach that includes the Gaussian fluctuations ($1/N$ corrections) of the saddle point solution. While the ground state of this model exhibits a well-known 120$^{\circ}$ magnetic ordering, experimental observations have revealed a strong quantum character of the excitation spectrum. We conjecture that this phenomenon arises from the proximity of the ground state of the TLHM to the quantum melting point separating the magnetically ordered and spin liquid states. Within this scenario, magnons are described as collective modes (two spinon-bound states) of a spinon condensate (Higgs phase) that spontaneously breaks the SU(2) symmetry of the TLHM. Crucial to our results is the proper account of this spontaneous symmetry breaking. The main qualitative difference relative to semi-classical treatments ($1/S$ expansion) is the presence of a high-energy spinon continuum extending up to about three times the single-magnon bandwidth. In addition, the magnitude of the ordered moment ($m=0.224$) agrees very well with numerical results and the low energy part of the single-magnon dispersion is in very good agreement with series expansions. Our results indicate that the Schwinger boson approach is an adequate starting point for describing the excitation spectrum of some magnetically ordered compounds that are near the quantum melting point separating this Higgs phase from the {\it deconfined} spin liquid state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

One dimensionalization in the spin-1 Heisenberg model on the anisotropic triangular lattice

We investigate the effect of dimensional crossover in the ground state of the antiferromagnetic spin-$1$ Heisenberg model on the anisotropic triangular lattice that interpolates between the regime of weakly coupled Haldane chains ($J^{\prime}\! \!\ll\!\! J$) and the isotropic triangular lattice ($J^{\prime}\!\!=\!\!J$). We use the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) and Schwinger boson theory performed at the Gaussian correction level above the saddle-point solution. Our DMRG results show an abrupt transition between decoupled spin chains and the spirally ordered regime at $(J^{\prime}/J)_c\sim 0.42$, signaled by the sudden closing of the spin gap. Coming from the magnetically ordered side, the computation of the spin stiffness within Schwinger boson theory predicts the instability of the spiral magnetic order toward a magnetically disordered phase with one-dimensional features at $(J^{\prime}/J)_c \sim 0.43$. The agreement of these complementary methods, along with the strong difference found between the intra- and the interchain DMRG short spin-spin correlations; for sufficiently large values of the interchain coupling, suggests that the interplay between the quantum fluctuations and the dimensional crossover effects gives rise to the one-dimensionalization phenomenon in this frustrated spin-$1$ Hamiltonian.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

RVB signatures in the spin dynamics of the square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet

We investigate the spin dynamics of the square-lattice spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet by means of an improved mean field Schwinger boson calculation. By identifying both, the long range Néel and the RVB-like components of the ground state, we propose an educated guess for the mean field triplet excitation consisting on a linear combination of local and bond spin flips to compute the dynamical structure factor. Our main result is that when this triplet excitation is optimized in such a way that the corresponding sum rule is fulfilled, we recover the low and high energy spectral weight features of the experimental spectrum. In particular, the anomalous spectral weight depletion at $(π,0)$ found in recent inelastic neutron scattering experiments can be attributed to the interference of the triplet bond excitations of the RVB component of the ground state. We conclude that the Schwinger boson theory seems to be a good candidate to adequately interpret the dynamic properties of the square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Magnons and Excitation Continuum in XXZ triangular antiferromagnetic model: Application to $Ba_3CoSb_2O_9$

We investigate the excitation spectrum of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnetic $XXZ$ model using series expansions and mean field Schwinger bosons approaches. The single-magnon spectrum computed with series expansions exhibits rotonic minima at the middle points of the edges of the Brillouin zone, for all values of the anisotropy parameter in the range $0\leq J^z/J\leq1$. Based on the good agreement with series expansions for the single-magnon spectrum, we compute the full dynamical magnetic structure factor within the mean field Schwinger boson approach to investigate the relevance of the $XXZ$ model for the description of the unusual spectrum found recently in $Ba_3CoSb_2O_9$. In particular, we obtain an extended continuum above the spin wave excitations, which is further enhanced and brought closer to those observed in $Ba_3CoSb_2O_9$ with the addition of a second neighbor exchange interaction approximately 15% of the nearest-neighbor value. Our results support the idea that excitation continuum with substantial spectral-weight are generically present in two-dimensional frustrated spin systems and fractionalization in terms of {\it bosonic} spinons presents an efficient way to describe them.

cond-mat.str-el↗