Emergence of antiferromagnetic quantum domain walls

Yuan, H. Y.1; Yung, Man-Hong2,3; Wang, X. R.4,5

2018-08-14

10.1103/PhysRevB.98.060407

PHYSICAL REVIEW B   影响因子和分区

2469-9950

2469-9969

Domain walls (DWs), as interfaces separating different magnetic domains, are widely regarded as classical objects, even though the underlying constituents, namely, electron spins and spin-spin exchange interaction, are intrinsically of quantum nature. One intriguing question is, how do DWs behave when the size of the magnetic domains is shrunk to the atomistic level? Would quantum fluctuations destroy the stability of the DWs? These questions are partly addressed for ferromagnets, but seldom studied for antiferromagnets. Here we present a microscopic quantum spin model of antiferromagnets where the ground states not only share several common properties with the classical domain walls, but also exhibit nontrivial quantum properties. Specifically, the magnetization profile highly resembles its classical counterparts, even though the spins inside the domain walls are highly entangled. Furthermore, a nonzero spin angular momentum of a quantum DW emerges and it does not depend on the system size. Finally, we show that quantum DWs can be generated through a quantum phase transition from a quantum domain and the critical point can be characterized by the global entanglement. These results provide additional physical insights on the quantum effects in spintronics, and can be experimentally verified within the current technologies in superconducting circuits and trapped ions.

SCI ; EI

英语

NI论文

第一 ; 通讯

Hong Kong RGC[16301518] ; Hong Kong RGC[16301816]

Materials Science ; Physics

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Physics, Applied ; Physics, Condensed Matter

WOS:000441671800002

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

20191906876485

Antiferromagnetic materials ; Domain walls ; Electrospinning ; Ground state ; Magnetic domains ; Magnetization ; Phase transitions ; Trapped ions

Magnetism: Basic Concepts and Phenomena:701.2 ; Magnetic Materials:708.4 ; Physical Chemistry:801.4 ; Fiber Chemistry and Processing:819.3 ; Atomic and Molecular Physics:931.3 ; Quantum Theory; Quantum Mechanics:931.4

PHYSICS

Web of Science

1.South Univ Sci & Technol China, Dept Phys, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
2.South Univ Sci & Technol China, Inst Quantum Sci & Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
3.South Univ Sci & Technol China, Dept Phys, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
4.Hong Kong Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Phys, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Peoples R China
5.HKUST Shenzhen Res Inst, Shenzhen 518057, Peoples R China

Yuan, H. Y.,Yung, Man-Hong,Wang, X. R.. Emergence of antiferromagnetic quantum domain walls[J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW B,2018,98(6).

Yuan, H. Y.,Yung, Man-Hong,&Wang, X. R..(2018).Emergence of antiferromagnetic quantum domain walls.PHYSICAL REVIEW B,98(6).

Yuan, H. Y.,et al."Emergence of antiferromagnetic quantum domain walls".PHYSICAL REVIEW B 98.6(2018).