Anisotropic Cascade of Field-Induced Phase Transitions in the Frustrated Spin-Ladder System BiCu2PO6

作者：Kohama Yoshimitsu^*; Wang Shuang; Uchida Atsuko; Prsa Krunoslav; Zvyagin Sergei; Skourski Yuri; McDonald Ross D; Balicas Luis; Ronnow Henrik M; Rueegg Christian; Jaime Marcelo

来源：Physical Review Letters, 2012, 109(16): 167204.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.167204

BiCu2PO6 is a frustrated two-leg spin-ladder compound with a spin gap that can be closed with a magnetic field of approximately 20 T. This quantum phase transition and its related phase diagram as a function of magnetic field and temperature (H, T) are investigated up to 60 T by means of specific heat, magnetocaloric effect, magnetization, and magnetostriction measurements. In contrast to other gapped quantum magnets, BiCu2PO6 undergoes a series of unexpected first-and second-order phase transitions when an external magnetic field is applied along the crystallographic c axis. The application of a magnetic field along the b axis induces two second-order phase transitions. We propose that the anisotropy and complex phase diagram result from the interplay between strong geometrical frustration and spin-orbit interaction necessary for the description of this fascinating magnetic system.

• 出版日期2012-10-17