Raman study of one-dimensional spin fluctuations in the spin-1 Heisenberg-chain compound Y2 BaNiO5 : Contrast with simple expectations
P. E. Sulewski, S‐W. Cheong
Spin fluctuations in the Haldane ground state should exhibit a quantum spin gap observable with Raman scattering. The Raman spectra of single-crystalline ${\mathrm{Y}}_{2}$${\mathrm{BaNiO}}_{5}$, a linear spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnet, exhibit broad continuum scattering between \ensuremath{\sim}200 and \ensuremath{\sim}800 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, in the energy range expected for magnetic excitations (\ensuremath{\sim}J=224 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$). Numerous weak and broad features superimposed on this continuum scattering possibly result from quantization of the magnon continuum by local molecular fields from nearby chains. A strong and relatively narrow mode at \ensuremath{\sim}680 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, near 3J, unrelated to lattice vibrations, may also be of magnetic origin. All of these features are strongly resonant in the red (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathit{L}}$=6328 \AA{}), disappearing for shorter excitation wavelengths. These spectra provide a view of the Haldane spin system excitations complementary to that given by inelastic neutron scattering. Modeling the excitations with Schwinger bosons or spin waves predicts a highly asymmetric scattering feature with a sharp onset near 2\ensuremath{\Delta}(\ensuremath{\sim}0.8J), gradually diminishing toward higher energies. The observed spectra disagree with this theoretical expectation, perhaps due to spin-phonon coupling which may provide an efficient decay channel for the magnon pairs.
Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Feb 1, 1995•10 citations