Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C9H18N2CuBr4

Tao Hong; Tao Ying; Qing Huang; Sachith E. Dissanayake; Yiming Qiu; Mark M. Turnbull; Andrey A. Podlesnyak; Yan Wu; Huibo Cao; Yaohua Liu; Izuru Umehara; Jun Gouchi; Yoshiya Uwatoko; Masaaki Matsuda; David A. Tennant; Gia Wei Chern; Kai P. Schmidt; Stefan Wessel

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-30769-8

Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C₉H₁₈N₂CuBr₄

Tao Hong, Tao Ying, Qing Huang, Sachith E. Dissanayake, Yiming Qiu, Mark M. Turnbull, Andrey A. Podlesnyak, Yan Wu, Huibo Cao, Yaohua Liu, Izuru Umehara, Jun Gouchi, Yoshiya Uwatoko, Masaaki Matsuda, David A. Tennant, Gia Wei Chern, Kai P. Schmidt, Stefan Wessel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Quantum phase transitions in quantum matter occur at zero temperature between distinct ground states by tuning a nonthermal control parameter. Often, they can be accurately described within the Landau theory of phase transitions, similarly to conventional thermal phase transitions. However, this picture can break down under certain circumstances. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetic structure and spin dynamics of the spin-1/2 ladder compound C₉H₁₈N₂CuBr₄. Single-crystal heat capacity and neutron diffraction measurements reveal that the Néel-ordered phase breaks down beyond a critical pressure of P_c ∼ 1.0 GPa through a continuous quantum phase transition. Estimates of the critical exponents suggest that this transition may fall outside the traditional Landau paradigm. The inelastic neutron scattering spectra at 1.3 GPa are characterized by two well-separated gapped modes, including one continuum-like and another resolution-limited excitation in distinct scattering channels, which further indicates an exotic quantum-disordered phase above P_c.

Original language	English
Article number	3073
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30769-8
State	Published - Dec 2022

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge the insightful discussions with Ian Affleck, Collin Broholm, Hongcheng Jiang, Masashige Matsumoto, Cenke Xu, and Guangyong Xu. We also thank Matthew Collins, Michael Cox, Saad Elorfi, Cory Fletcher, Rick Goyette, Juscelino Leão, Christopher Redmon, Todd Sherline, Christopher Schmitt, Randall Sexton, Erik Stringfellow, and Tyler White for the technical support in neutron scattering experiments. A portion of this research used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor and Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A portion of this research used resources of the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station Project at ORNL. Access to MACS was provided by the Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering, a partnership between NIST and NSF under Agreement No. DMR-1508249. The research is also supported by Go! Student Program of ORNL. We gratefully acknowledge the insightful discussions with Ian Affleck, Collin Broholm, Hongcheng Jiang, Masashige Matsumoto, Cenke Xu, and Guangyong Xu. We also thank Matthew Collins, Michael Cox, Saad Elorfi, Cory Fletcher, Rick Goyette, Juscelino Leão, Christopher Redmon, Todd Sherline, Christopher Schmitt, Randall Sexton, Erik Stringfellow, and Tyler White for the technical support in neutron scattering experiments. A portion of this research used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor and Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A portion of this research used resources of the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station Project at ORNL. Access to MACS was provided by the Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering, a partnership between NIST and NSF under Agreement No. DMR-1508249. The research is also supported by Go! Student Program of ORNL.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	DMR-1508249
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Office of Science
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Hong, T., Ying, T., Huang, Q., Dissanayake, S. E., Qiu, Y., Turnbull, M. M., Podlesnyak, A. A., Wu, Y., Cao, H., Liu, Y., Umehara, I., Gouchi, J., Uwatoko, Y., Matsuda, M., Tennant, D. A., Chern, G. W., Schmidt, K. P., & Wessel, S. (2022). Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C₉H₁₈N₂CuBr₄. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 3073. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30769-8

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title = "Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C9H18N2CuBr4",

abstract = "Quantum phase transitions in quantum matter occur at zero temperature between distinct ground states by tuning a nonthermal control parameter. Often, they can be accurately described within the Landau theory of phase transitions, similarly to conventional thermal phase transitions. However, this picture can break down under certain circumstances. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetic structure and spin dynamics of the spin-1/2 ladder compound C9H18N2CuBr4. Single-crystal heat capacity and neutron diffraction measurements reveal that the N{\'e}el-ordered phase breaks down beyond a critical pressure of Pc ∼ 1.0 GPa through a continuous quantum phase transition. Estimates of the critical exponents suggest that this transition may fall outside the traditional Landau paradigm. The inelastic neutron scattering spectra at 1.3 GPa are characterized by two well-separated gapped modes, including one continuum-like and another resolution-limited excitation in distinct scattering channels, which further indicates an exotic quantum-disordered phase above Pc.",

author = "Tao Hong and Tao Ying and Qing Huang and Dissanayake, {Sachith E.} and Yiming Qiu and Turnbull, {Mark M.} and Podlesnyak, {Andrey A.} and Yan Wu and Huibo Cao and Yaohua Liu and Izuru Umehara and Jun Gouchi and Yoshiya Uwatoko and Masaaki Matsuda and Tennant, {David A.} and Chern, {Gia Wei} and Schmidt, {Kai P.} and Stefan Wessel",

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year = "2022",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-022-30769-8",

language = "English",

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journal = "Nature Communications",

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Hong, T, Ying, T, Huang, Q, Dissanayake, SE, Qiu, Y, Turnbull, MM, Podlesnyak, AA , Wu, Y , Cao, H , Liu, Y, Umehara, I, Gouchi, J, Uwatoko, Y, Matsuda, M, Tennant, DA, Chern, GW, Schmidt, KP & Wessel, S 2022, 'Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C₉H₁₈N₂CuBr₄', Nature Communications, vol. 13, no. 1, 3073. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30769-8

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T1 - Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C9H18N2CuBr4

AU - Hong, Tao

AU - Ying, Tao

AU - Huang, Qing

AU - Dissanayake, Sachith E.

AU - Qiu, Yiming

AU - Turnbull, Mark M.

AU - Podlesnyak, Andrey A.

AU - Wu, Yan

AU - Cao, Huibo

AU - Liu, Yaohua

AU - Umehara, Izuru

AU - Gouchi, Jun

AU - Uwatoko, Yoshiya

AU - Matsuda, Masaaki

AU - Tennant, David A.

AU - Chern, Gia Wei

AU - Schmidt, Kai P.

AU - Wessel, Stefan

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Quantum phase transitions in quantum matter occur at zero temperature between distinct ground states by tuning a nonthermal control parameter. Often, they can be accurately described within the Landau theory of phase transitions, similarly to conventional thermal phase transitions. However, this picture can break down under certain circumstances. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetic structure and spin dynamics of the spin-1/2 ladder compound C9H18N2CuBr4. Single-crystal heat capacity and neutron diffraction measurements reveal that the Néel-ordered phase breaks down beyond a critical pressure of Pc ∼ 1.0 GPa through a continuous quantum phase transition. Estimates of the critical exponents suggest that this transition may fall outside the traditional Landau paradigm. The inelastic neutron scattering spectra at 1.3 GPa are characterized by two well-separated gapped modes, including one continuum-like and another resolution-limited excitation in distinct scattering channels, which further indicates an exotic quantum-disordered phase above Pc.

AB - Quantum phase transitions in quantum matter occur at zero temperature between distinct ground states by tuning a nonthermal control parameter. Often, they can be accurately described within the Landau theory of phase transitions, similarly to conventional thermal phase transitions. However, this picture can break down under certain circumstances. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetic structure and spin dynamics of the spin-1/2 ladder compound C9H18N2CuBr4. Single-crystal heat capacity and neutron diffraction measurements reveal that the Néel-ordered phase breaks down beyond a critical pressure of Pc ∼ 1.0 GPa through a continuous quantum phase transition. Estimates of the critical exponents suggest that this transition may fall outside the traditional Landau paradigm. The inelastic neutron scattering spectra at 1.3 GPa are characterized by two well-separated gapped modes, including one continuum-like and another resolution-limited excitation in distinct scattering channels, which further indicates an exotic quantum-disordered phase above Pc.

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Evidence for pressure induced unconventional quantum criticality in the coupled spin ladder antiferromagnet C₉H₁₈N₂CuBr₄

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