Ultrafast frustration breaking and magnetophononic driving of singlet excitations in a quantum magnet
F. Giorgianni, Björn Wehinger, Stephan Allenspach, Nicola Colonna, C. Vicario, Pascal Puphal, E. Pomjakushina, B. Normand, Christian Rüegg
Abstract
Ultrafast laser probing has revolutionized the study of quantum materials. Quantum magnets realize some of the most complex and entangled many-body states in condensed matter. Here, the authors unify ultrafast physics and quantum magnetism by pump-probe experiments on the frustrated magnet SrCu${}_{2}$(BO${}_{3}$)${}_{2}$, using terahertz light pulses to create coherent driving of the lattice phonons, which in turn creates a special singlet spin excitation. Their phonon-based method introduces a universal mechanism for controlling nonequilibrium quantum many-body physics on ultrafast timescales.
Topics & Concepts
PhysicsUltrashort pulseQuantumPhononMagnetSinglet stateMagnetismExcitationCondensed matter physicsLaserQuantum mechanicsExcited stateAdvanced Condensed Matter PhysicsPhysics of Superconductivity and MagnetismTopological Materials and Phenomena