Frustrated spin-1/2 chains in a correlated metal

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Magnetism

Background:

• Electronic correlations in three-dimensional (3D) metals create heavy quasiparticles, and their collapse can destabilize magnetic moments.
• The existence of analogous instabilities in one-dimensional (1D) systems remains an open question due to the scarcity of metallic spin chain materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential for magnetic moment instability in 1D metallic systems.
• To identify and characterize new metallic spin chain materials.

Main Methods:

• Neutron scattering measurements were employed to probe magnetic excitations.
• Density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations were used to model the electronic and magnetic properties.

Main Results:

• The study establishes the presence of spinons in the correlated metal Ti4MnBi2, confirming its 1D magnetic nature.
• Ti4MnBi2 exhibits inherent magnetic frustration and exists near a quantum critical point.
• One-dimensional magnetism is dominant at low temperatures and is robust against weak interchain coupling.

Conclusions:

• Ti4MnBi2 is identified as a novel metallic spin chain material.
• The 3D conduction electrons in Ti4MnBi2 become strongly correlated due to coupling with 1D magnetic moments.
• This material provides a platform to study the interplay between electronic correlations and 1D magnetism.