Universal Behavior of One-Dimensional Gapped Antiferromagnets in Staggered Magnetic Field

TL;DR

This paper predicts a universal behavior for the magnetization and excitation gaps in one-dimensional gapped antiferromagnets under strong staggered magnetic fields, supported by experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a universal form for the magnetization curve and excitation gaps in these systems based on 1+1D field theory, providing a unifying framework.

Findings

Universal magnetization curve predicted

Energy gaps affected by staggered field characterized

Theoretical results match neutron scattering data

Abstract

We study the properties of one-dimensional gapped Heisenberg antiferromagnets in the presence of an arbitrary strong staggered magnetic field. For these systems we predict a universal form for the staggered magnetization curve. This function, as well as the effect the staggered field has on the energy gaps in longitudinal and transversal excitation spectra, are determined from the universal form of the effective potential in O(3)-symmetric 1+1--dimensional field theory. Our theoretical findings are in excellent agreement with recent neutron scattering data on R_2 Ba Ni O_5 (R = magnetic rare earth) linear-chain mixed spin antiferromagnets.