Witnessing spin entanglement in a one-dimensional Hubbard chain with resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

ORAL

Abstract

Entanglement is a key property of quantum materials and crucial resource for quantum information science, yet few experimental methods exist to probe it in macroscopic solids. One promising approach to detect entanglement is via the Quantum Fisher Information (QFI) calculated from material response functions, such as the dynamical spin structure factor 1, as was recently demonstrated in inelastic neutron scattering experiments2,3. Here, we extend this approach to resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS), determining the dynamical spin structure factor in absolute units from RIXS measurements of the magnetic excitation spectrum, in combination with calculations and comparison to theory. In Sr2CuO3, a prototypical cuprate system, we witness at least 6-partite spin entanglement. This entanglement is robust, with 4-partite entanglement persisting up to 220 K.

Witnessing entanglement with RIXS opens possibilities to study entanglement in new contexts, including in thin films or light-induced phases. Furthermore, RIXS is sensitive to a broad range of spin, charge, and orbital excitations, which are also expected to be entangled. Hence RIXS may provide a route to discover more general entangled states in quantum materials. Our work provides a new framework for understanding collective properties and phases of quantum materials through understanding the structure of entanglement.

1. Hauke, P., et al. Nat Phys 12, 778–782 (2016). DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS3700

2. Scheie, A., et al. PRB 103, 224434 (2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.224434

3. Laurell, P., et al. PRL 127, 037201 (2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.037201

4. TenHuisen, S. F. R., et al. forthcoming

*This work was primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Early Career Award Program, under Award No. DE-SC0022883. Work performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Division of Materials Science, under Contract No. DE-SC0012704. SFRT acknowledges support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program, administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

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Presenters

  • Sophia F TenHuisen

    • Harvard University

Authors

  • Sophia F TenHuisen

    • Harvard University

  • zecheng shen

    • Emory University

  • Varun Menon

    • University of California, Berkeley

  • Hari Padma

    • Harvard University

  • Ziqiang Guan

    • Harvard University

  • Wei He

    • SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

  • Vivek Bhartiya

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)

  • Jiemin Li

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)

  • Filippo Glerean

    • Harvard University

  • Jonathan Pelliciari

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
    • Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Valentina Bisogni

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)

  • Yao Wang

    • Emory University

  • Mark PM Dean

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)

  • Matteo Mitrano

    • Harvard University