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Huang, Chien-Lung

Publications and source records attributed to Huang, Chien-Lung.

Quantum simulation of an extended Dicke model with a magnetic solid

Abstract The Dicke model describes the cooperative interaction of an ensemble of two-level atoms with a single-mode photonic field and exhibits a quantum phase transition as a function of light–matter coupling strength. Extending this model by incorporating short-range atom–atom interactions makes the problem intractable but is expected to produce new physical phenomena and phases. Here, we simulate such an extended Dicke model using a crystal of ErFeO 3 , where the role of atoms (photons) is played by Er 3+ spins (Fe 3+ magnons). Through terahertz spectroscopy and magnetocaloric effect measurements as a function of temperature and magnetic field, we demonstrated the existence of a novel atomically ordered phase in addition to the superradiant and normal phases that are expected from the standard Dicke model. Further, we elucidated the nature of the phase boundaries in the temperature–magnetic-field phase diagram, identifying both first-order and second-order phase transitions. These results lay the foundation for studying multiatomic quantum optics models using well-characterized many-body solid-state systems.

Marquez Peraca, Nicolas↗

Disorder-induced excitation continuum in a spin- 1 2 cobaltate on a triangular lattice

A spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet is a prototypical frustrated quantum magnet, which exhibits remarkable quantum many-body effects that arise from the synergy between geometric spin frustration and quantum fluctuations. It can host quantum frustrated magnetic topological phenomena such as quantum spin liquid (QSL) states, highlighted by the presence of fractionalized quasiparticles within a continuum of magnetic excitations. Here, in this work, we use neutron scattering to study CoZnMo 3 O 8 , which has a triangular lattice of J eff = 1/2 Co 2+ ions with octahedral coordination. We found a wave-vector-dependent excitation continuum at low energy that disappears with increasing temperature. Although these excitations are reminiscent of a spin excitation continuum in a QSL state, their presence in CoZnMo 3 O 8 originates from magnetic intersite disorder-induced dynamic spin states with peculiar excitations. Our results, therefore, provide direct experimental evidence for the presence of a disorder-induced spin excitation continuum.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Diffusive excitonic bands from frustrated triangular sublattice in a singlet-ground-state system

Magnetic order in most materials occurs when magnetic ions with finite moments arrange in a particular pattern below the ordering temperature. Intriguingly, if the crystal electric field (CEF) effect results in a spin-singlet ground state, a magnetic order can still occur due to the exchange interactions between neighboring ions admixing the excited CEF levels. The magnetic excitations in such a state are spin excitons generally dispersionless in reciprocal space. Here we use neutron scattering to study stoichiometric Ni 2 Mo 3 O 8 , where Ni 2+ ions form a bipartite honeycomb lattice comprised of two triangular lattices, with ions subject to the tetrahedral and octahedral crystalline environment, respectively. We find that in both types of ions, the CEF excitations have nonmagnetic singlet ground states, yet the material has magnetic order. Furthermore, CEF spin excitons from the tetrahedral sites form a dispersive diffusive pattern around the Brillouin zone boundary, likely due to spin entanglement and geometric frustrations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗