Local spin relaxation within the random Heisenberg chain

TL;DR

This study numerically investigates finite-temperature local spin dynamics in a random Heisenberg chain to explain NMR relaxation times, revealing a broad distribution that diminishes with temperature and highlights the importance of anisotropy.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed numerical analysis of local spin relaxation in a disordered Heisenberg chain, emphasizing the role of anisotropy and temperature dependence.

Findings

Distribution of relaxation times is broad and resembles stretched-exponential form.

The distribution decreases with increasing temperature but remains finite at high T.

Anisotropy significantly influences the temperature dependence of relaxation dynamics.

Abstract

Finite-temperature local spin dynamics within the random spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain is studied numerically. The aim is to explain measured NMR spin-lattice relaxation times in BaCu_{2}(Si_{0.5}Ge_{0.5})_{2}O_{7}, which is the realization of a random spin chain. In agreement with experiments we find that the distribution of relaxation times within the model shows a very large span similar to the stretched-exponential form. The distribution is strongly reduced with increasing T but stays finite also in the high-T limit. Our results reveal the crucial role of the anisotropy (interaction), since the behavior is essentially contrast with the ones for XX model (equivalent to noninteracting fermions), where we do not find any significant T dependence of the distribution.