Spin-spin Correlation Research Articles

Multistage development of anisotropic magnetic correlations in the Co-based honeycomb lattice Na2Co2TeO6

We investigate the thermal evolution of magnetic correlations of the Co-based honeycomb lattice ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{2}{\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ with $^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ nuclear magnetic resonance and static magnetic susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$. The studied compound shows three-dimensional (3D) long-range magnetic ordering at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=26$ K. On cooling through ${T}^{*}\ensuremath{\approx}110$ K, a simple paramagnetic state undergoes a crossover to a correlated paramagnetic state featuring a power-law dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice $(1/{T}_{1})$ and spin-spin $(1/{T}_{2})$ relaxation rates as well as of the out-of-plane $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$. The magnetic-field-direction dependence of $1/{T}_{1}$, $1/{T}_{2}$, and $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$ uncovers anisotropic spin-spin correlations of a two-dimensional (2D) renormalized classical character. In a magnetically ordered state, we are able to identify four successive transitions or crossovers occurring at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=26$, ${T}_{\mathrm{N}1}=16$, ${T}_{\mathrm{N}2}=7$, and ${T}_{\mathrm{N}3}=3.5$ K. The multiple transitions and crossovers are associated with the coexistence of 2D and 3D magnetic orders or reorientation of the ordered spins. Our results suggest the presence of various types of frustrating interactions and their energy hierarchy that control complex magnetic structures and anisotropic magnetism.

Site-Resolved Imaging of Ultracold Fermions in a Triangular-Lattice Quantum Gas Microscope

Quantum gas microscopes have expanded the capabilities of quantum simulation of Hubbard models by enabling the study of spatial spin and density correlations in square lattices. However, quantum gas microscopes have not been realized for fermionic atoms in frustrated geometries. Here, we demonstrate the single-atom resolved imaging of ultracold fermionic $^{6}$Li atoms in a triangular optical lattice with a lattice constant of 1003 nm. The optical lattice is formed by a recycled narrow-linewidth, high-power laser combined with a light sheet to allow for Raman sideband cooling on the $D_1$ line. We optically resolve single atoms on individual lattice sites using a high-resolution objective to collect scattered photons while cooling them close to the two-dimensional ground vibrational level in each lattice site. By reconstructing the lattice occupation, we measure an imaging fidelity of ~98%. Our new triangular lattice microscope platform for fermions clears the path for studying spin-spin correlations, entanglement and dynamics of geometrically frustrated Hubbard systems which are expected to exhibit exotic emergent phenomena including spin liquids and kinetic frustration.

Exact Real-Time Longitudinal Correlation Functions of the Massive XXZ Chain.

We apply a recently developed thermal form factor expansion method to evaluate the real-time longitudinal spin-spin correlation functions of the spin-1/2 XXZ chain in the antiferromagnetically ordered regime at zero temperature. An analytical result incorporating all types of excitations in the model is obtained, without any approximations. This allows for the accurate calculation of the real-time correlations in this strongly interacting quantum system for arbitrary distances and times.

Site-Monotonicity Properties for Reflection Positive Measures with Applications to Quantum Spin Systems

We consider a general statistical mechanics model on a product of local spaces and prove that, if the corresponding measure is reflection positive, then several site-monotonicity properties for the two-point function hold. As an application, we derive site-monotonicity properties for the spin–spin correlation of the quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet and XY model, we prove that spin-spin correlations are point-wise uniformly positive on vertices with all odd coordinates—improving previous positivity results which hold for the Cesàro sum. We also derive site-monotonicity properties for the probability that a loop connects two vertices in various random loop models, including the loop representation of the spin O(N) model, the double-dimer model, the loop O(N) model and lattice permutations, thus extending the previous results of Lees and Taggi (2019).

Unveiling Operator Growth Using Spin Correlation Functions

In this paper, we study non-equilibrium dynamics induced by a sudden quench of strongly correlated Hamiltonians with all-to-all interactions. By relying on a Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK)-based quench protocol, we show that the time evolution of simple spin-spin correlation functions is highly sensitive to the degree of k-locality of the corresponding operators, once an appropriate set of fundamental fields is identified. By tracking the time-evolution of specific spin-spin correlation functions and their decay, we argue that it is possible to distinguish between operator-hopping and operator growth dynamics; the latter being a hallmark of quantum chaos in many-body quantum systems. Such an observation, in turn, could constitute a promising tool to probe the emergence of chaotic behavior, rather accessible in state-of-the-art quench setups.

Mixed-order transition in the antiferromagnetic quantum Ising chain in a field

The antiferromagnetic quantum Ising chain has a quantum critical point which belongs to the universality class of the transverse Ising model (TIM). When a longitudinal field ($h$) is switched on, the phase transition is preserved, which turns to first-order for $h/\Gamma \to \infty$, $\Gamma$ being the strength of the transverse field. Here we will re-examine the critical properties along the phase transition line. During a quantum block renormalization group calculation, the TIM fixed point for $h/\Gamma>0$ is found to be unstable. Using DMRG techniques, we calculated the entanglement entropy and the spin-spin correlation function, both of which signaled a divergent correlation length at the transition point with the TIM exponents. At the same time, the bulk correlation function has a jump and the end-to-end correlation function has a discontinuous derivative at the transition point. Consequently for finite $h/\Gamma$ the transition is of mixed-order.

Studying many-body localization in exchange-coupled electron spin qubits using spin-spin correlations

We show that many-body localization (MBL) effects can be observed in a finite chain of exchange-coupled spin qubits in the presence of both exchange and magnetic noise, a system that has been experimentally realized in semiconductors and is a potential solid-state quantum computing platform. In addition to established measures of MBL, the level spacing ratio and the entanglement entropy, we propose another quantity, the spin-spin correlation function, that can be measured experimentally and is particularly well-suited to experiments in semiconductor-based electron spin qubit systems. We show that, in cases that the established measures detect as delocalized "phases", the spin-spin correlation functions retain no memory of the system's initial state (i.e., the long-time value deviates significantly from the initial value), but that they do retain memory in cases that the established measures detect as localized "phases". We also discover an interesting counterintuitive result that there is no clear tendency towards localization with increasing charge noise in small systems ($3$--$10$ spins). The proposed experiments should be feasible in the existing semiconductor spin qubit systems.

The antiferromagnetic $S=1/2$ Heisenberg model on the C$_{60}$ fullerene geometry

We solve the quantum-mechanical antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with spins positioned on vertices of the truncated icosahedron using the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG). This describes magnetic properties of the undoped C_{60}60 fullerene at half filling in the limit of strong on-site interaction UU. We calculate the ground state and correlation functions for all possible distances, the lowest singlet and triplet excited states, as well as thermodynamic properties, namely the specific heat and spin susceptibility. We find that unlike smaller C_{20}20 or C_{32}32 that are solvable by exact diagonalization, the lowest excited state is a triplet rather than a singlet, indicating a reduced frustration due to the presence of many hexagon faces and the separation of the pentagonal faces, similar to what is found for the truncated tetrahedron. This implies that frustration may be tuneable within the fullerenes by changing their size. The spin-spin correlations are much stronger along the hexagon bonds and exponentially decrease with distance, so that the molecule is large enough not to be correlated across its whole extent. The specific heat shows a high-temperature peak and a low-temperature shoulder reminiscent of the kagomé lattice, while the spin susceptibility shows a single broad peak and is very close to the one of C_{20}20.

Quantum criticality in dimerised anisotropic spin-1 chains

Applying the (infinite) density-matrix renormalisation group technique, we explore the effect of an explicit dimerisation on the ground-state phase diagram of the spin-1 XXZ chain with single-ion anisotropy D. We demonstrate that the Haldane phase between large-D and antiferromagnetic phases survives up to a critical dimerisation only. As a further new characteristic the dimerisation induces a direct continuous Ising quantum phase transition between the large-D and antiferromagnetic phases with central charge c=1/2, which terminates at a critical end-point where c=7/10. Calculating the critical exponents of the order parameter, neutral gap and spin–spin-correlation function, we find beta =1/8 (1/24), nu =1 (5/9), and eta =1/4 (3/20), respectively, which proves the Ising (tricritical Ising) universality class in accordance with field-theoretical predictions.

The magnetic structure factor of the square ice: A phenomenological description

We consider the sixteen vertex model, and we describe, phenomenologically, the main features of the square ice magnetic structure factor. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that in the high-temperature regime, the magnetic structure factor of the square ice can be seen as the superposition of two distinct magnetic structure factors associated with two other models. In particular, we provide empirical arguments to explain why intensity is present in some regions of reciprocal space and absent in other locations. We also tentatively explain why the so-called pinch points, evidencing the algebraic nature of the spin-spin correlations once the system is brought into its ground state manifold, appear for certain wavevectors only.

Generic field-driven phenomena in Kitaev spin liquids: Canted magnetism and proximate spin liquid physics

Topological spin liquids in two spatial dimensions are stable phases in the presence of a small magnetic field, but may give way to field-induced phenomena at intermediate field strengths. Sandwiched between the low-field spin liquid physics and the high-field spin-polarized phase, the exploration of magnetic phenomena in this intermediate regime however often remains elusive to controlled analytical approaches. Here we numerically study such intermediate-field magnetic phenomena for two representative Kitaev models (on the square-octagon and decorated honeycomb lattice) that exhibit either Abelian or non-Abelian topological order in the low-field limit. Using a combination of exact diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group techniques, as well as linear spin-wave theory, we establish the generic features of Kitaev spin liquids in an external magnetic field. While ferromagnetic models typically exhibit a direct transition to the polarized state at a relatively low field strength, antiferromagnetic couplings not only substantially stabilizes the topological spin liquid phase, but generically lead to the emergence of a distinct field-induced intermediate regime, separated by a crossover from the high-field polarized regime. Our results suggest that, for most lattice geometries, this regime generically exhibits significant spin canting, antiferromagnetic spin-spin correlations, and an extended proximate spin liquid regime at finite temperatures. Notably, we identify a symmetry obstruction in the original honeycomb Kitaev model that prevents, at least for certain field directions, the formation of such canted magnetism without breaking symmetries -- consistent with the recent numerical observation of an extended gapless spin liquid in this case.

Effective spin models for spinor lattice gases with gauge fields

We study the effective spin models for a Mott insulating Bose-Hubbard model in the presence of gauge fields. We first introduce a simple method based on adiabatic elimination to determine the low-energy effective Hamiltonian. Demonstration of a two-component one-dimensional model with synthetic magnetic field is shown. We further consider a generalized Bose-Hubbard model which covers the cases where spin-orbit coupling and synthetic flux are present. The resulting XYZ model contains Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and symmetric anisotropic couplings. Under certain conditions, this model reduces to various interesting magnetic Hamiltonians. Phase diagrams for two typical situations are obtained. We investigate magnetic phase transitions by focusing on order parameters and spin-spin correlations. Results are validated by numerical calculations using tensor network algorithms.

Competing magnetic orders in a bilayer Hubbard model with ultracold atoms.

Fermionic atoms in optical lattices have served as a useful model system in which to study and emulate the physics of strongly correlated matter. Driven by the advances of high-resolution microscopy, the current research focus is on two-dimensional systems1-3, in which several quantum phases-such as antiferromagnetic Mott insulators for repulsive interactions4-7 and charge-density waves for attractive interactions8-have been observed. However, the lattice structure of real materials, such as bilayer graphene, is composed of coupled layers and is therefore not strictly two-dimensional, which must be taken into account in simulations. Here we realize a bilayer Fermi-Hubbard model using ultracold atoms in an optical lattice, and demonstrate that the interlayer coupling controls a crossover between a planar antiferromagnetically ordered Mott insulator and a band insulator of spin-singlets along the bonds between the layers. We probe the competition of the magnetic ordering by measuring spin-spin correlations both within and between the two-dimensional layers. Our work will enable the exploration of further properties of coupled-layer Hubbard models, such as theoretically predicted superconducting pairing mechanisms9,10.

Monte Carlo Entropic sampling algorithm applied to 3D spin crossover nanoparticles: role of the environment on the thermal hysteresis

This contribution deals with the development of a 3D Monte Carlo (MC) entropic sampling algorithm to evaluate the density of states of a SCO nanoparticles using three parameters related to the “magnetization”, the “spin-spin correlation” and the number of molecules at the surface. This information is then used to analyze the role of the interaction parameter, L, between the external environment of the nanoparticle and the surface’s molecules. We show that increasing “L” shifts downward the system’s transition temperature, generating a thermal hysteresis whose width increases linearly with the strength of this parameter “L”. These behaviors are also studied as function of the SCO nanoparticle size.

The Two-Dimensional Infinite Heisenberg Classical Square Lattice: Zero-Field Partition Function and Correlation Length

The nonlinear σ-model has known a new interest for it allows to describe the properties of two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets which, when properly doped, become superconductors up to a critical temperature notably high compared to other types of superconducting materials. This model has been conjectured to be equivalent at low temperatures to the two-dimensional Heisenberg model. In this article we rigorously examine 2d-square lattices composed of classical spins isotropically coupled between first-nearest neighbors (i.e., showing Heisenberg couplings). A general expression of the characteristic polynomial associated with the zero-field partition function is established for any lattice size. In the infinite-lattice limit a numerical study allows to select the dominant term: it is written as a l-series of eigenvalues, each one being characterized by a unique index l whose origin is explained. Surprisingly the zero-field partition function shows a very simple exact closed-form expression valid for any temperature. The thermal study of the basic l-term allows to point out crossovers between l- and (l+1)-terms. Coming from high temperatures where the l=0-term is dominant and going to zero Kelvin, l-eigen¬values showing increasing l-values are more and more selected. At absolute zero l becomes infinite and all the successive dominant l-eigenvalues become equivalent. As the z-spin correlation is null for positive temperatures but equal to unity (in absolute value) at absolute zero the critical temperature is absolute zero. Using an analytical method similar to the one employed for the zero-field partition function we also give an exact expression valid for any temperature for the spin-spin correlations as well as for the correlation length. In the zero-temperature limit we obtain a diagram of magnetic phases which is similar to the one derived through a renormalization approach. By taking the low-temperature limit of the correlation length we obtain the same expressions as the corresponding ones derived through a renor¬malization process, for each zone of the magnetic phase diagram, thus bringing for the first time a strong validation to the full exact solution of the model valid for any temperature.

Closure of the entanglement gap at quantum criticality: The case of the quantum spherical model

The study of entanglement spectra is a powerful tool to detect or elucidate universal behaviour in quantum many-body systems. We investigate the scaling of the entanglement (or Schmidt) gap $\delta\xi$, i.e., the lowest laying gap of the entanglement spectrum, at a two-dimensional quantum critical point. We focus on the paradigmatic quantum spherical model, which exhibits a second-order transition, and is mappable to free bosons with an additional external constraint. We analytically show that the Schmidt gap vanishes at the critical point, although only logarithmically. For a system on a torus and the half-system bipartition, the entanglement gap vanishes as $\pi^2/\ln(L)$, with $L$ the linear system size. The entanglement gap is nonzero in the paramagnetic phase and exhibits a faster decay in the ordered phase. The rescaled gap $\delta\xi\ln(L)$ exhibits a crossing for different system sizes at the transition, although logarithmic corrections prevent a precise verification of the finite-size scaling. Interestingly, the change of the entanglement gap across the phase diagram is reflected in the zero-mode eigenvector of the spin-spin correlator. At the transition quantum fluctuations give rise to a non-trivial structure of the eigenvector, whereas in the ordered phase it is flat. We also show that the vanishing of the entanglement gap at criticality can be qualitatively but not quantitatively captured by neglecting the structure of the zero-mode eigenvector.

Magnetic interactions in the tripod kagome antiferromagnet Mg2Gd3Sb3O14 probed by static magnetometry and high-field ESR spectroscopy

We report an experimental study of the static magnetization $M(H,T)$ and high-field electron spin resonance (ESR) of polycrystalline \MgGd, a representative member of the newly discovered class of the so-called tripod-kagome antiferromagnets where the isotropic Gd$^{3+}$ spins ($S = 7/2$) form a two-dimensional kagome spin-frustrated lattice. It follows from the analysis of the low-$T$ $M(H)$-curves that the Gd$^{3+}$ spins are coupled by a small isotropic antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange interaction $|J| \approx$ 0.3\,K. The $M(H,T)$-dependences measured down to 0.5\,K evidence a long-range AFM order at $T_{\text{N}} = 1.7$\,K and its rapid suppression at higher fields $\geq 4$\,T. ESR spectra measured in fields up to 15\,T are analyzed considering possible effects of demagnetizing fields, single-ion anisotropy and spin-spin correlations. While the demagnetization effects due to a large sample magnetization in high fields and its shape anisotropy become relevant at low temperatures, the broadening of the ESR line commencing already at $T\lesssim 30$\,K may indicate the onset of the spin-spin correlations far above the ordering temperature due to the geometrical spin frustration in this compound.

Staggered flux state for rectangular-lattice spin- 12 Heisenberg antiferromagnets

We investigate the spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on a rectangular lattice, using the Gutzwiller projected variational wave function known as the staggered flux state. Using Monte Carlo techniques, the variational parameters and static spin-structure factor for different coupling anisotropies $\gamma=J_y/J_x$ are calculated. We observe a gradual evolution of the ground state energy towards a value which is very close to the 1D estimate provided by the Bethe ansatz and a good agreement between the finite size scaling of the energies. The spin-spin correlation functions exhibit a power-law decay with varying exponents for different anisotropies. Though the lack of N\'eel order makes the staggered flux state energetically unfavorable in the symmetric case $\gamma=1$, it appears to capture the essence of the system close to 1D. Hence we believe that the staggered flux state provides an interesting starting point to explore the crossover from quantum disordered chains to the N\'eel ordered 2D square lattices.

Electrical Access to Ising Anyons in Kitaev Spin Liquids.

We show that spin-spin correlations in a non-Abelian Kitaev spin liquid are associated with a characteristic inhomogeneous charge density distribution in the vicinity of Z_{2} vortices. This density profile and the corresponding local electric fields are observable, e.g., by means of surface probe techniques. Conversely, by applying bias voltages to several probe tips, one can stabilize Ising anyons (Z_{2} vortices harboring a Majorana zero mode) at designated positions, where we predict a clear Majorana signature in energy absorption spectroscopy.

Evidence of discrete energy states and cluster-glass behavior in Sr2−xLaxCoNbO6

We report the detailed analysis of specific heat [C$_{\rm P}$(T)] and ac-susceptibility for magnetically frustrated Sr$_{2-x}$La$_x$CoNbO$_6$ ($x=$ 0--1) double perovskites to understand low temperature complex magnetic interactions and their evolution with $x$. Interestingly, the observed Schottky anomaly in the $x\leqslant$ 0.4 samples shifts gradually towards higher temperature with magnetic field as well as $x$, and the analysis reveal the persistence of the discrete energy states in these samples resulting from the spin-orbit coupling and octahedral distortion. Moreover, the extracted values of Land\'e g--factor indicate the existence of high-spin state Co$^{3+}$ ions close to non-magnetic low-spin state. The specific heat data show the $\lambda$-type anomaly for the $x\geqslant$ 0.6 samples due to evolution of the long range antiferromagnetic ordering. Our analysis of low temperature C$_{\rm P}$(T) data for the $x\geqslant$ 0.6 samples demonstrate the 3D isotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions and the temperature induced second order AFM--paramagnetic phase transition. More interestingly, we demonstrate the presence of the free Co$^{2+}$ like Kramers doublet ground state in the $x =$1 sample. Further, the ac susceptibility and time evolution of the magnetization data reveal the low temperature cluster-glass like behavior in the $x=$ 0--0.4 samples, where spin-spin correlation strength decreases with $x$.