Unusual Magneto-Optical Phenomenon Reveals Low Energy Spin Dispersion in the Spin-1 Anisotropic Heisenberg Antiferromagnetic Chain SystemNiCl2−4SC(NH2)2

Abstract

Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of NiCl2-4SC(NH2)_{2} reveal the low-energy spin dispersion, including a magnetic-field interval in which the two-magnon continuum is within k_{B}T of the ground state, allowing a continuum of excitations over a range of k states, rather than only the k=0 single-magnon excitations. This produces a novel Y shape in the frequency-field EPR spectrum measured at T > or = 1.5 K. Since the interchain coupling J_{ perpendicular}<<k_{B}T, this shape can be reproduced by a single S=1 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain with a strong easy-plane single-ion anisotropy. Importantly, the combination of experiment and modeling we report herein demonstrates a powerful approach to probing spin dispersion in a wide range of interacting magnetic systems without the stringent sample requirements and complications associated with inelastic scattering experiments.