Continuous control of classical-quantum crossover by external high pressure in the coupled chain compound CsCuCl3

In solid materials, the parameters relevant to quantum effects, such as the spin quantum number, are basically determined and fixed at the chemical synthesis, which makes it challenging to control the amount of quantum correlations. We propose and demonstrate a method for active control of the classical-quantum crossover in magnetic insulators by applying external pressure. As a concrete example, we perform high-field, high-pressure measurements on CsCuCl3, which has the structure of weakly-coupled spin chains. The magnetization process experiences a continuous evolution from the semi-classical realm to the highly-quantum regime with increasing pressure. Based on the idea of squashing the spin chains onto a plane, we characterize the change in the quantum correlations by the change in the value of the local spin quantum number of an effective two-dimensional model. This opens a way to access the tunable classical-quantum crossover of two-dimensional spin systems by using alternative systems of coupled-chain compounds. In real materials, a spin quantum number assumes a fixed value, which makes it challenging to realize a crossover between quantum and classical spin regimes. Here the authors demonstrate such a crossover in a weakly coupled chain compound by controlling the amount of quantum correlations, in the form of the inverse spin quantum number, with external pressure.

Automated summary

The study proposes and demonstrates a method for actively controlling the classical-quantum crossover in magnetic insulators by applying external pressure, showing evolution of magnetization process from semi-classical to highly-quantum regime in CsCuCl3. By compressing spin chains to alter the value of local spin quantum number in a two-dimensional model, quantum correlations are characterized and the tunable classical-quantum crossover of two-dimensional spin systems is accessed.