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

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. Alternatively, we use a representation valid in the thermodynamic limit, N→∞, in terms of the N spin-1/2 physical spins of the spin-1/2XXZ chain in its whole Hilbert space. It was originally introduced for the isotropic point in Carmelo et al. [Phys. Rev. B 92, 165133 (2015)], co-authored by David, and more recently extended to spin anisotropies Δ>1 in Carmelo et al. [Phys. Rev. Res. 5, 043058 (2023)] and J. M. P. Carmelo and P. D. Sacramento [Nucl. Phys. B 974, 115610 (2022); Nucl. Phys. B 997, 116385 (2023) (Corrigendum)]. The physical-spins representation accounts for the spin-1/2XXZ chain’s continuous SUq(2) symmetry parameterized by q=Δ+Δ2−1∈]1,∞] and associated with q-spin Sq. Specifically, 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-1/2XXZ chain with anisotropy Δ>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. As found in Carmelo et al. [Phys. Rev. Res. 5, 043058 (2023)] and J. M. P. Carmelo and P. D. Sacramento [Nucl. Phys. B 974, 115610 (2022); Nucl. Phys. B 997, 116385 (2023) (Corrigendum)], the use of the continuous SUq(2) symmetry reveals that for anisotropy Δ>1 the Bethe strings of length n=1,2,3,… describe a number n of physical-spins Sq=0 singlet pairs that for n>1 are bound within a Sq=0 singlet configuration. Their contribution to the spin dynamical structure factor of both the spin-1/2XXZ chain in a longitudinal magnetic field and the spin chains in SrCo2V2O8 is one of the issues addressed in this paper. In addition, the SUq(2) symmetry imposes that only 2Sq out of the N physical spins are the spin carriers. We also review recent results of J. M. P. Carmelo and P. D. Sacramento [“Diffusive spin transport of the spin-1/2 XXZ chain in the Ising regime at zero magnetic field and finite temperature,” (submitted) (2024)] concerning the vanishing of the contributions to finite-temperature ballistic spin transport at zero magnetic field. Within the physical-spins representation, this merely follows from the absolute value of the elementary spin currents carried by the M=2Sq spin carriers of all finite-Sq states that contribute to the spin stiffness being finite. Finally, we discuss deviations of the zigzag materials BaCo2V2O8 and SrCo2V2O8 from the one-dimensional physics described the spin-1/2XXZ chain due to selective interchain couplings.