Ising spin-1/2 XXZ chain's quantum problems beyond the spinon paradigm

TL;DR

This paper reviews quantum problems in spin-1/2 XXZ chains that go beyond the traditional spinon paradigm, including spin Bethe strings and spin stiffness related to ballistic transport, with experimental and theoretical insights.

Contribution

It highlights two novel quantum phenomena beyond the spinon framework: Bethe strings of various lengths and finite-temperature spin stiffness in XXZ chains.

Findings

Identification of Bethe strings n=1,2,3 in specific materials

Experimental realization of Bethe strings in zigzag compounds

Analysis of spin stiffness at finite temperature

Abstract

Spin chains are correlated quantum models of great interest in quantum systems and materials exhibiting quasi-one-dimensional magnetic properties. Here we review results on quantum problems associated with spin chains that are beyond the usual spinon paradigm. In this review we consider two quantum problems that are beyond the spinon representation: (a) Spin Bethe strings of length n that have no spinon representation, contribute to the dynamical properties of the spin-1/2 XXZ chain with anisotropy larger than 1 and for n=1,2,3 were experimentally identified and realized in the zigzag materials SrCo2V2O8 and BaCo2V2O8; (b) The spin stiffness associated with ballistic spin transport at arbitrary finite temperature, which involves a huge number of energy eigenstates, many of which are generated in the thermodynamic limit from ground states by an infinite number of elementary processes.