Magnetization process of a quasi-two-dimensional quantum magnet: Two-step symmetry restoration and dimensional reduction

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Anneke Reinold - , Dortmund University of Technology (Author)
  • Lucas Berger - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Marcin Raczkowski - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Zhiying Zhao - , CAS - Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter (Author)
  • Yoshimitsu Kohama - , The University of Tokyo (Author)
  • Masaki Gen - , The University of Tokyo (Author)
  • Denis I. Gorbunov - , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Author)
  • Yurii Skourski - , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Author)
  • Sergei Zherlitsyn - , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Author)
  • Fakher F. Assaad - , University of Würzburg, Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat (Author)
  • Thomas Lorenz - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Zhe Wang - , Dortmund University of Technology (Author)

Abstract

We report on a comprehensive thermodynamic study of a quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) quantum magnet Cu2(OH)3Br which in the 2D layer can be viewed as strongly coupled alternating antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic chains. In an applied magnetic field transverse to the ordered spins below TN=9.3 K, a field-induced phase transition from the 3D ordered to a disordered phase occurs at Bc=16.3 T for the lowest temperature, which is featured by an onset of a one-half plateaulike magnetization. By performing quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the relevant 2D model, we find that the plateaulike magnetization corresponds to a partial symmetry restoration and the full polarization in the ferromagnetic chains. Our numerical simulations also show that the magnetization saturation occurs with full symmetry restoration at a much higher field of Bs≃95 T, corresponding to a 1D quantum phase transition in the antiferromagnetic chains. We argue that the experimentally observed field-induced phase transition at Bc follows from the partial symmetry restoration and the concomitant dimensional reduction.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numberL100405
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume111
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2025
Peer-reviewedYes