Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field

Abstract Motivated by recent advancements in theoretical and experimental studies of the high-energy excitations on an antiferromagnetic trimer chain, we numerically investigate the quantum phase transition and composite dynamics in this system by applying a magnetic field. The numerical methods we...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jun-Qing Cheng, Zhi-Yao Ning, Han-Qing Wu, Dao-Xin Yao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:npj Quantum Materials
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-024-00705-8
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850056460604538880
author Jun-Qing Cheng
Zhi-Yao Ning
Han-Qing Wu
Dao-Xin Yao
author_facet Jun-Qing Cheng
Zhi-Yao Ning
Han-Qing Wu
Dao-Xin Yao
author_sort Jun-Qing Cheng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Motivated by recent advancements in theoretical and experimental studies of the high-energy excitations on an antiferromagnetic trimer chain, we numerically investigate the quantum phase transition and composite dynamics in this system by applying a magnetic field. The numerical methods we used include the exact diagonalization, density matrix renormalization group, time-dependent variational principle, and cluster perturbation theory. From calculating the entanglement entropy, we have revealed the phase diagram which includes the XY-I, 1/3 magnetization plateau, XY-II, and ferromagnetic phases. Both the critical XY-I and XY-II phases are characterized by the conformal field theory with a central charge c ≃ 1. By analyzing the dynamic spin structure factor, we elucidate the distinct features of spin dynamics across different phases. In the regime with weak intertrimer interaction, we identify the intermediate-energy and high-energy modes in the XY-I and 1/3 magnetization plateau phases as internal trimer excitations, corresponding to the propagating of doublons and quartons, respectively. Notably, applying a magnetic field splits the high-energy spectrum into two branches, labeled as the upper quarton and lower quarton. Furthermore, we explore the spin dynamics of a frustrated trimerized model closely related to the quantum magnet Na2Cu3Ge4O12. In the end, we extend our discuss on the possibility of the quarton Bose-Einstein condensation in the trimer systems. Our results are expected to be further verified through the inelastic neutron scattering and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, and also provide valuable insights for exploring high-energy exotic excitations.
format Article
id doaj-art-517e9c9bd6a6472caef908c36c645e9c
institution DOAJ
issn 2397-4648
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series npj Quantum Materials
spelling doaj-art-517e9c9bd6a6472caef908c36c645e9c2025-08-20T02:51:42ZengNature Portfolionpj Quantum Materials2397-46482024-11-019111210.1038/s41535-024-00705-8Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic fieldJun-Qing Cheng0Zhi-Yao Ning1Han-Qing Wu2Dao-Xin Yao3State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Center for Neutron Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetoelectric Physics and Devices, School of Physics, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Center for Neutron Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetoelectric Physics and Devices, School of Physics, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Center for Neutron Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetoelectric Physics and Devices, School of Physics, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Center for Neutron Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetoelectric Physics and Devices, School of Physics, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityAbstract Motivated by recent advancements in theoretical and experimental studies of the high-energy excitations on an antiferromagnetic trimer chain, we numerically investigate the quantum phase transition and composite dynamics in this system by applying a magnetic field. The numerical methods we used include the exact diagonalization, density matrix renormalization group, time-dependent variational principle, and cluster perturbation theory. From calculating the entanglement entropy, we have revealed the phase diagram which includes the XY-I, 1/3 magnetization plateau, XY-II, and ferromagnetic phases. Both the critical XY-I and XY-II phases are characterized by the conformal field theory with a central charge c ≃ 1. By analyzing the dynamic spin structure factor, we elucidate the distinct features of spin dynamics across different phases. In the regime with weak intertrimer interaction, we identify the intermediate-energy and high-energy modes in the XY-I and 1/3 magnetization plateau phases as internal trimer excitations, corresponding to the propagating of doublons and quartons, respectively. Notably, applying a magnetic field splits the high-energy spectrum into two branches, labeled as the upper quarton and lower quarton. Furthermore, we explore the spin dynamics of a frustrated trimerized model closely related to the quantum magnet Na2Cu3Ge4O12. In the end, we extend our discuss on the possibility of the quarton Bose-Einstein condensation in the trimer systems. Our results are expected to be further verified through the inelastic neutron scattering and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, and also provide valuable insights for exploring high-energy exotic excitations.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-024-00705-8
spellingShingle Jun-Qing Cheng
Zhi-Yao Ning
Han-Qing Wu
Dao-Xin Yao
Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
npj Quantum Materials
title Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
title_full Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
title_fullStr Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
title_full_unstemmed Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
title_short Quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
title_sort quantum phase transition and composite excitations of antiferromagnetic spin trimer chains in a magnetic field
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-024-00705-8
work_keys_str_mv AT junqingcheng quantumphasetransitionandcompositeexcitationsofantiferromagneticspintrimerchainsinamagneticfield
AT zhiyaoning quantumphasetransitionandcompositeexcitationsofantiferromagneticspintrimerchainsinamagneticfield
AT hanqingwu quantumphasetransitionandcompositeexcitationsofantiferromagneticspintrimerchainsinamagneticfield
AT daoxinyao quantumphasetransitionandcompositeexcitationsofantiferromagneticspintrimerchainsinamagneticfield