Yanyan Shangguan

Quantum fluctuations endow spin systems with surprisingly enriched magnetic phase diagrams. In frustrated magnets, strong quantum fluctuations boosted by either geometrical incompatibility or competitive exchange interactions stabilize cascades of unusual phases of matter. Here we reveal the presence of multiple quantum phases in the honeycomb antiferromagnet Na₃Ni₂BiO₆, both inside and beyond its field-induced one-third magnetization plateau. Comprehensive measurements of thermodynamic quantities demonstrate that the one-third plateau comprises at least three distinct spin states with nearly-degenerate net magnetization, separated by first-order transitions that likely involve sequential spin reconfiguration. Upon further increasing the magnetic field, the system evolves across a myriad of peculiar phases before reaching full polarization; these intermediate phases possess copious low-energy excitations, manifested by anomalous upturns of specific heat at ultralow temperatures — probably hinting at the development of “hidden” ordered ground states. The complex magnetic phase diagram of Na₃Ni₂BiO₆ underlines the preponderant impact of quantum fluctuations on a honeycomb spin lattice with strong exchange frustration.

In d-electron systems, there can also be intricate interplay between Kondo coupling and magnetic interactions as that in f-electron systems, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, using inelastic neutron scattering, we investigate the temperature evolution of the low-energy spin waves (magnons) in a metallic van der Waals ferromagnet Fe_3−xGeTe₂, and observe that the magnon damping diverges at both low and high temperatures and exhibits a minimum at an intermediate temperature. These behaviors are described by a formula that combines logarithmic and power-law terms, representing the dominant contributions from Kondo coupling and thermal fluctuations, respectively. These findings can be explained by considering electron-magnon scattering of spin-flip type within the ferromagnetic Kondo-Heisenberg lattice model, distinct from the original Kondo effect which only considers the coupling between itinerant electrons and isolated impurity spins. These results unveil the intriguing interplay between itinerant electrons and spin waves in metallic 3d-electron systems with magnetic order, and provide magnon damping as a new effective probe of Kondo coupling in metallic quantum magnets, thereby opening new avenues for exploring Kondo physics from the magnon perspective.

Lattice vibrations can carry angular momentum and magnetic moments under broken inversion or time-reversal symmetry, forming so-called chiral phonons. While such excitations have been explored in nonmagnetic systems via optical probes, their direct detection in magnetic materials and coupling to spin excitations remain largely unexplored. Here, using neutron spectroscopy, sensitive to both nuclear and magnetic scattering, we reveal the magnetic signature of chiral phonons in ferrimagnetic Fe_{1.75}Zn_{0.25}Mo_{3}O_{8} with Curie temperature T_{C}∼49 K. Below T_{C}, we observe enhanced magnetic scattering of phonons at small momenta, arising from strong magnon-phonon coupling. In addition, out-of-plane intensity modulation, phonon mode splitting, and field-induced Zeeman shifts are observed, all closely associated with the ferrimagnetic order. These features vanish above T_{C}, where phonon spectra are dominated by nuclear scattering. These observations demonstrate the existence of chiral phonons carrying substantial magnetic moments that directly contribute to magnetic scattering, and establish neutron spectroscopy as a powerful, momentum-resolved probe of their magnetic character.