Orbital-exchange and fractional quantum number excitations in an f-electron metal, Yb2 Pt2Pb

L. S. Wu; W. J. Gannon; I. A. Zaliznyak; A. M. Tsvelik; M. Brockmann; J. S. Caux; M. S. Kim; Y. Qiu; J. R.D. Copley; G. Ehlers; A. Podlesnyak; M. C. Aronson

doi:10.1126/science.aaf0981

Orbital-exchange and fractional quantum number excitations in an f-electron metal, Yb₂ Pt₂Pb

L. S. Wu, W. J. Gannon, I. A. Zaliznyak, A. M. Tsvelik, M. Brockmann, J. S. Caux, M. S. Kim, Y. Qiu, J. R.D. Copley, G. Ehlers, A. Podlesnyak, M. C. Aronson

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Abstract

Exotic quantum states and fractionalized magnetic excitations, such as spinons in one-dimensional chains, are generally expected to occur in 3d transition metal systems with spin 1/2. Our neutron-scattering experiments on the 4f-electron metal Yb₂Pt ₂ Pb overturn this conventional wisdom. We observe broad magnetic continuum dispersing in only one direction, which indicates that the underlying elementary excitations are spinons carrying fractional spin-1/2. These spinons are the emergent quantum dynamics of the anisotropic, orbital-dominated Yb moments. Owing to their unusual origin, only longitudinal spin fluctuations are measurable, whereas the transverse excitations such as spin waves are virtually invisible to magnetic neutron scattering. The proliferation of these orbital spinons strips the electrons of their orbital identity, resulting in charge-orbital separation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1206-1210
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	352
Issue number	6290
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf0981
State	Published - Jun 3 2016

Funding

Work at Brookhaven National Laboratory (I.A.Z., A.M.T., M.S.K.) was supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), under contract DE-SC00112704. Work at Stony Brook (L.S.W., W.J.G., M.C.A.) was supported by NSF-DMR-131008. L.S.W. was also supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This research at ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source was sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. DOE. Work at NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is supported in part by the NSF under Agreement no. DMR-1508249. J.-S.C. and M.B. acknowledge support from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) of the Netherlands.

Funders	Funder number
Scientific User Facilities Division
National Science Foundation	1310008
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-SC00112704
Basic Energy Sciences
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Stony Brook University	NSF-DMR-131008
NIST Center for Neutron Research	DMR-1508249
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering
Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

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title = "Orbital-exchange and fractional quantum number excitations in an f-electron metal, Yb2 Pt2Pb",

abstract = "Exotic quantum states and fractionalized magnetic excitations, such as spinons in one-dimensional chains, are generally expected to occur in 3d transition metal systems with spin 1/2. Our neutron-scattering experiments on the 4f-electron metal Yb2Pt 2 Pb overturn this conventional wisdom. We observe broad magnetic continuum dispersing in only one direction, which indicates that the underlying elementary excitations are spinons carrying fractional spin-1/2. These spinons are the emergent quantum dynamics of the anisotropic, orbital-dominated Yb moments. Owing to their unusual origin, only longitudinal spin fluctuations are measurable, whereas the transverse excitations such as spin waves are virtually invisible to magnetic neutron scattering. The proliferation of these orbital spinons strips the electrons of their orbital identity, resulting in charge-orbital separation.",

author = "Wu, {L. S.} and Gannon, {W. J.} and Zaliznyak, {I. A.} and Tsvelik, {A. M.} and M. Brockmann and Caux, {J. S.} and Kim, {M. S.} and Y. Qiu and Copley, {J. R.D.} and G. Ehlers and A. Podlesnyak and Aronson, {M. C.}",

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AU - Wu, L. S.

AU - Gannon, W. J.

AU - Zaliznyak, I. A.

AU - Tsvelik, A. M.

AU - Brockmann, M.

AU - Caux, J. S.

AU - Kim, M. S.

AU - Qiu, Y.

AU - Copley, J. R.D.

AU - Ehlers, G.

AU - Podlesnyak, A.

AU - Aronson, M. C.

PY - 2016/6/3

Y1 - 2016/6/3

N2 - Exotic quantum states and fractionalized magnetic excitations, such as spinons in one-dimensional chains, are generally expected to occur in 3d transition metal systems with spin 1/2. Our neutron-scattering experiments on the 4f-electron metal Yb2Pt 2 Pb overturn this conventional wisdom. We observe broad magnetic continuum dispersing in only one direction, which indicates that the underlying elementary excitations are spinons carrying fractional spin-1/2. These spinons are the emergent quantum dynamics of the anisotropic, orbital-dominated Yb moments. Owing to their unusual origin, only longitudinal spin fluctuations are measurable, whereas the transverse excitations such as spin waves are virtually invisible to magnetic neutron scattering. The proliferation of these orbital spinons strips the electrons of their orbital identity, resulting in charge-orbital separation.

AB - Exotic quantum states and fractionalized magnetic excitations, such as spinons in one-dimensional chains, are generally expected to occur in 3d transition metal systems with spin 1/2. Our neutron-scattering experiments on the 4f-electron metal Yb2Pt 2 Pb overturn this conventional wisdom. We observe broad magnetic continuum dispersing in only one direction, which indicates that the underlying elementary excitations are spinons carrying fractional spin-1/2. These spinons are the emergent quantum dynamics of the anisotropic, orbital-dominated Yb moments. Owing to their unusual origin, only longitudinal spin fluctuations are measurable, whereas the transverse excitations such as spin waves are virtually invisible to magnetic neutron scattering. The proliferation of these orbital spinons strips the electrons of their orbital identity, resulting in charge-orbital separation.

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Orbital-exchange and fractional quantum number excitations in an f-electron metal, Yb₂ Pt₂Pb

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