On the Ising character of the quantum-phase transition in LiHoF4
Abstract
It is investigated how a transverse magnetic field affects the quantum-mechanical character of LiHoF4, a system generally considered as a textbook example for an Ising-like quantum-phase transition. In small magnetic fields, the low-temperature behavior of the ions is Ising-like, involving the nearly degenerate low-lying Jz = ± 8 doublet. However, as the transverse field increases, there is a substantial admixture of states having |Jz| < 8. Near the quantum-phase-transition field, the system is distinctively non-Ising like, and all Jz eigenstates yield ground-state contributions of comparable magnitude. A classical analog to this mechanism is the micromagnetic single point in magnets with uniaxial anisotropy. Since Ho3+ has J = 8, the ion’s behavior is reminiscent of the classical limit (J = ∞), but quantum corrections remain clearly visible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 23, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4942950
Entities
People
- R. Skomski
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- Office of Basic Energy Sciences
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln