Inelastic light scattering measurements of a pressure-induced quantum liquid in KCuF3

S. Yuan, M. Kim, J. T. Seeley, J. C.T. Lee, S. Lal, P. Abbamonte, S. L. Cooper

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Pressure-dependent, low-temperature inelastic light (Raman) scattering measurements of KCuF3 show that applied pressure above P *∼7kbar suppresses a previously observed structural phase transition temperature to zero temperature in KCuF3, resulting in the development of a fluctuational (quasielastic) response near T∼0K. This pressure-induced fluctuational response-which we associate with slow fluctuations of the CuF6 octahedral orientation-is temperature independent and exhibits a characteristic fluctuation rate that is much larger than the temperature, consistent with quantum fluctuations of the CuF 6 octahedra. A model of pseudospin-phonon coupling provides a qualitative description of both the temperature- and pressure-dependent evolution of the Raman spectra of KCuF3.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number217402
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume109
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 21 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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