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1/5 and 1/3 Magnetization Plateaux in the Spin 1/2 Chain System YbAlO3

P. Mokhtari1,2,3,*, S. Galeski2,4, U. Stockert3, L. Behera3, S. E. Nikitin5, R. Wawrzyńczak2, R. Küchler2, M. Brando2, L. Vasylechko6 et al.

O. A. Starykh7,† and E. Hassinger3,2,‡

  • *Present address: Department of Applied Physics and Quantum-Phase Electronics Center (QPEC), The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
  • †Contact author: oleg.starykh@utah.edu
  • ‡Contact author: elena.hassinger@tu-dresden.de
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 076704 – Published 13 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/grfl-37g2

Abstract

Quasi-one-dimensional magnets can host an ordered longitudinal spin-density wave state (LSDW) in magnetic field at low temperature, when longitudinal correlations are strengthened by Ising anisotropies. In the S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet YbAlO3 this happens via Ising-like interchain interactions. Here, we report the first experimental observation of magnetization plateaux at 1/5 and 1/3 of the saturation value via thermal transport and magnetostriction measurements in YbAlO3. We present a phenomenological theory of the plateau states that describes them as islands of commensurability within an otherwise incommensurate LSDW phase and explains their relative positions within the LSDW phase and their relative extent in a magnetic field. Notably, the plateaux are stabilized by ferromagnetic interchain interactions in YbAlO3 and consistently are absent in other quasi-1D magnets such as BaCo2V2O8 with antiferromagnetic interchain interactions. We also report a small, steplike increase of the magnetostriction coefficient, indicating a weak phase transition of unknown origin in the high-field phase just below the saturation.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 076704– Published 13 August, 2025
  • Received 28 December 2024
  • Revised 18 April 2025
  • Accepted 20 May 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.

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