Condensed Matter Seminar Series
Title: Spin Structure Factor of the Frustrated Quantum Magnet Cs2CuCl4
Rastko Sknepnek
McMaster University
Thursday March 9, 11:30 am, Room 298, Physics Building
Abstract: Recently, the insulating magnet Cs2CuCl4 has been a topic of intense experimental and theoretical study. This material is a rare example of a spin 1/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet. Its small spin, quasi-two-dimensionality, and geometric frustration are allfeatures expected to promote possible spin-liquid states. Indeed, inelastic neutron scattering experiments on Cs2CuCl4 have revealed extended scattering continua in the dynamic structure factor, suggesting the presence of spinons. However, we persue a different explanation of the neutron scattering data, and calculate the dynamical structure factor in a 1/S expansion taking into account magnon-magnoninteractions. We pay particular attention to the effects of a weak Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and show that most, but not all, features of the structure factor data measured on Cs2CuCl4 can be explained within the framework of conventional spin-wave theory.
Hosts: Shailesh Chandrasekharan and Harold Baranger