Ghost in the machine: Theory of inelastic neutron scattering in a field-induced spin-nematic state

Abstract

The spin-nematic state has proved elusive, due to the difficulty of observing the order parameter in experiment. In this article we develop a theory of spin excitations in a field-induced spin-nematic state, and use it to show how a spin-nematic order can be indentified using inelastic neutron scattering. We concentrate on 2-dimensional frustrated ferromagnets, for which a two-sublattice, bond-centered spin-nematic state is predicted to exist over a wide range of parameters. First, to clarify the nature of spin-excitations, we introduce a soluble spin-1 model, and use this to derive a continuum field theory, applicable to any two-sublattice spin-nematic state. We then parameterise this field theory, using diagrammatic calculations for a realistic microscopic model of a spin-1/2 frustrated ferromagnet, and show how it can be used to make predictions for inelastic neutron scattering. As an example, we show quantitative predictions for inelastic scattering of neutrons from BaCdVO(PO_4)_2, a promising candidate to realise a spin-nematic state at an achievable h\sim 4T. We show that in this material it is realistic to expect a ghostly Goldstone mode, signalling spin-nematic order, to be visible in experiment.

arXiv comment30 pages, 19 figures

References in corpus (33)

• Nematic order in square lattice frustrated ferromagnets
• Vector chiral and multipolar orders in the spin-1/2 frustrated ferromagnetic chain in magnetic field
• The quadrupolar phases of the S=1 bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model on the triangular lattice
• Emergent multipolar spin correlations in a fluctuating spiral - The frustrated ferromagnetic S=1/2 Heisenberg chain in a magnetic field
• Spin Nematic Phase in S=1 Triangular Antiferromagnets
• Magnon pairing in quantum spin nematic
• Magnetic properties of BaCdVO(PO_4)_2: a strongly frustrated spin-1/2 square lattice close to the quantum critical regime
• Frustrated ferromagnetic spin-1/2 chain in a magnetic field: The phase diagram and thermodynamic properties
• Multi-magnon bound states in the frustrated ferromagnetic 1D chain
• New high magnetic field phase of the frustrated $S=1/2$ chain compound LiCuVO${}_4$
• Correlation functions and excitation spectrum of the frustrated ferromagnetic spin-1/2 chain in an external magnetic field
• Effective field theory for S=1 quantum nematic
• Waves in the unseen : theory of spin excitations in a quantum spin nematic
• Search for a spin-nematic phase in the quasi-one-dimensional frustrated magnet LiCuVO${}_4$
• Spin-Nematic and Spin-Density-Wave Orders in Spatially Anisotropic Frustrated Magnets in a Magnetic Field
• NMR relaxation rate and dynamical structure factors in nematic and multipolar liquids of frustrated spin chains under magnetic fields
• Exploring the spin-1/2 frustrated square lattice model with high-field magnetization measurements
• Single Crystal 31P NMR Studies of the Frustrated Square Lattice Compound Pb2(VO)(PO4)2
• Zigzag spin chains with antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic interactions: Transfer-matrix renormalization group study
• Octupolar order in the multiple spin exchange model on a triangular lattice
• SU(2) slave-boson formulation of spin nematic states in S=1/2 frustrated ferromagnets
• Magnon BEC and various phases of 3D quantum helimagnets under high magnetic field
• Excitations and quasi-one-dimensionality in field-induced nematic and spin density wave states
• Field and temperature dependence of the NMR relaxation rate in the magnetic quadrupolar liquid phase of spin-1/2 frustrated ferromagnetic chains
• Exact one- and two-particle excitation spectra of acute-angle helimagnets above their saturation magnetic field
• Nematic phase and phase separation near saturation field in frustrated ferromagnets
• Spin correlations and exchange in square lattice frustrated ferromagnets
• Projective studies of spin nematics in a quantum frustrated ferromagnet
• Pairing of Solitons in Two-Dimensional S=1 Magnets
• Ground-state phase diagram and magnetic properties of a tetramerized spin-1/2 J_1-J_2 model: BEC of bound magnons and absence of the transverse magnetization
• Dynamical spin structure factors of quantum spin nematic states
• Spin nematic phase in (quasi-)one-dimensional frustrated magnet in strong magnetic field
• Magnetic phase diagram slightly below the saturation field in the stacked $J_1$-$J_2$ model in the square lattice with the $J_{\text{C}}$ interlayer coupling

Cited by in corpus (29)

• Quantum entanglement in condensed matter systems
• Frustrated two dimensional quantum magnets
• Competing spin liquids and hidden nematic order in spin ice with frustrated transverse exchange
• Novel phases in a square-lattice frustrated ferromagnet : 1/3-magnetisation plateau, helicoidal spin-liquid and vortex crystal
• Spin Nematics Meet Spin Liquids: Exotic Quantum Phases in the Spin-$1$ Bilinear-Biquadratic Model with Kitaev Interactions
• Spin Ferroquadrupolar Order in the Nematic Phase of FeSe
• Magnetic Excitations of Spin Nematic State in Frustrated Ferromagnetic Chain
• Thermodynamics of a frustrated quantum magnet on a square lattice
• Semi-classical simulation of spin-1 magnets
• Spectral evidence of a ghostly transition: Theory of NMR 1/T_1 relaxation in a quantum spin nematic in applied magnetic field
• Bose-Einstein condensation of a two-magnon bound state in a spin-one triangular lattice
• Putative spin-nematic phase in BaCdVO(PO${}_4$)${}_2$
• Antiferroquadrupolar order and rotational symmetry breaking in a generalized bilinear-biquadratic model on a square lattice
• Presaturation phase with no dipolar order in a quantum ferro-antiferromagnet
• Spin and quadrupolar orders in the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model for iron-based superconductors
• Electron spin resonance for the detection of long-range spin nematic order
• NMR evidence against a spin-nematic nature of the presaturation phase in the frustrated magnet SrZnVO(PO4)2
• Inelastic neutron scattering determination of the spin Hamiltonian for BaCdVO(PO${}_4$)${}_2$
• Unusual double-peak specific heat and spin freezing in a spin-2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet FeAl${}_2$Se${}_4$
• Field-induced spin nematic Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid of the $S=1/2$ spin ladder system with the anisotropic ferromagnetic rung interaction
• Finite temperature thermodynamic properties of the spin-1 nematics in an applied magnetic field
• Higher-Rank Spin Liquids and Spin Nematics from Competing Orders in Pyrochlore Magnets
• Low-energy spin excitations of the frustrated ferromagnetic $J_1$-$J_2$ chain material linarite, PbCuSO${}_4$(OH)${}_2$, in applied magnetic fields $\mathbf{H}\parallel b$ axis
• Phase diagram and spin waves in the frustrated ferro-antiferromagnet SrZnVO(PO4)2
• Dynamical structure factors in the nematic phase of frustrated ferromagnetic spin chains
• Spin correlations in the frustrated ferro-antiferromagnet SrZnVO(PO4)2 near saturation
• Dynamics of quantum spin-nematics: Comparisons with canted antiferromagnets
• Magnetic excitations and transport properties in frustrated ferromagnetic chain
• Electronic spin-triplet nematic with a twist