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arXiv · 1607.05164

Evidence for a magnetic field-induced unconventional nematic state in the frustrated and anisotropic spin-chain cuprate LiCuSbO$_4$

H. -J. Grafe·S. Nishimoto·M. Iakovleva·E. Vavilova·L. Spillecke·A. Alfonsov·M. -I. Sturza·S. Wurmehl·H. Nojiri·H. Rosner·J. Richter·U. K. Rößler·S. -L. Drechsler·V. Kataev·B. Büchner
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Abstract

Modern theories of quantum magnetism predict exotic multipolar states in weakly interacting strongly frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains with ferromagnetic nearest neighbor (NN) inchain exchange in high magnetic fields. Experimentally these states remained elusive so far. Here we report the evidence for a long-sought magnetic field-induced nematic state arising above a field of $\sim 13$ T in the edge-sharing chain cuprate LiSbCuO$_4$ $\equiv$ LiCuSbO$_4$. This interpretation is based on the observation of a field induced spin-gap in the measurements of the $^7$Li NMR spin relaxation rate $T_1^{-1}$ as well as a contrasting field-dependent power-law behavior of $T_1^{-1}$ vs. $T$ and is further supported by static magnetization and ESR data. An underlying theoretical microscopic approach favoring a nematic scenario is based essentially on the NN XYZ exchange anisotropy within a model for frustrated spin-1/2 chains. It is investigated by the DMRG technique. The employed exchange parameters are justified qualitatively by electronic structure calculations for LiCuSbO$_4$.

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H. -J. Grafe, S. Nishimoto, M. Iakovleva, E. Vavilova, L. Spillecke, A. Alfonsov, M. -I. Sturza, S. Wurmehl, H. Nojiri, H. Rosner, J. Richter, U. K. Rößler, S. -L. Drechsler, V. Kataev, B. Büchner. 2016-07-18. Evidence for a magnetic field-induced unconventional nematic state in the frustrated and anisotropic spin-chain cuprate LiCuSbO$_4$. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06525-0

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