Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in High Magnetic Field: Application to Condensed Matter Physics

In this review, we describe the potentialities offered by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique to explore at a microscopic level new quantum states of condensed matter induced by high magnetic fields. We focus on experiments realised in resistive (up to 34~T) or hybrid (up to 45~T) magnets, which open a large access to these quantum phase transitions. After an introduction on NMR observable, we consider several topics: quantum spin systems (spin-Peierls transition, spin ladders, spin nematic phases, magnetisation plateaus and Bose-Einstein condensation of triplet excitations), the field-induced charge density wave (CDW) in high $T_c$~superconductors, and exotic superconductivity including the Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov superconducting state and the field-induced superconductivity due to the Jaccarino-Peter mechanism.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure

Dynamics of Bound Magnon Pairs in the Quasi-One-Dimensional Frustrated Magnet LiCuVO_4

We report on the dynamics of the spin-1/2 quasi-one-dimensional frustrated magnet LiCuVO$\mathrm{_4}$ measured by nuclear spin relaxation in high magnetic fields 10--34 T, in which the ground state has spin-density-wave order. The spin fluctuations in the paramagnetic phase exhibit striking anisotropy with respect to the magnetic field. The transverse excitation spectrum probed by $^{51}$V nuclei has an excitation gap, which increases with field. On the other hand, the gapless longitudinal fluctuations sensed by $^7$Li nuclei grow with lowering temperature, but tend to be suppressed with increasing field. Such anisotropic spin dynamics and its field dependence agree with the theoretical predictions and are ascribed to the formation of bound magnon pairs, a remarkable consequence of the frustration between ferromagnetic nearest neighbor and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor interactions.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Friction-induced instabilities: modal, transient analysis and experimental validation

International audienceThe vibrations generated at the interface between the two bodies in friction are responsible for various noises such as squealing, juddering, hammering, hooting, etc. In order to model and understand friction-induced vibration phenomenon, two types of analysis, modal analysis and transient analysis, are compared in this article. This study has been made on a simplified system composed of two beams in contact. In modal analysis, instabilities appear when a pair of modes merges. Eigenvalues with positive real parts are identified as potentially unstable modes. In transient analysis, one speaks about instabilities when stick or separation zones appear in the contact surfaces. Results have been compared and both analysis give coherent and complementary results. An experimental validation has been made and shows a good correlation between experimental and numerical results

Reply to the Comment by S.E. Sebastian and N. Harrison

no abstract for comment

Incomplete devil's staircase in the magnetization curve of SrCu2(BO3)2

We report on NMR and torque measurements on the frustrated quasi-two-dimensional spin-dimer system SrCu2(BO3)2 in magnetic fields up to 34 T that reveal a sequence of magnetization plateaus at 1/8, 2/15, 1/6, and 1/4 of the saturation and two incommensurate phases below and above the 1/6 plateau. The magnetic structures determined by NMR involve a stripe order of triplets in all plateaus, suggesting that the incommensurate phases originate from proliferation of domain walls. We propose that the magnetization process of SrCu2(BO3)2 is best described as an incomplete devil's staircase.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures (main: 12 pages, 4 figures/supplemental material: 9 pages, 5 figures

Nuclear magnetic resonance study of the magnetic-field-induced ordered phase in the NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2 compound

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of the high magnetic field (H) part of the Bose-Einstein condensed (BEC) phase of the quasi-onedimensional (quasi-1D) antiferromagnetic quantum spin-chain compound NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2 (DTN) was performed. We precisely determined the phase boundary, Tc(H), down to 40 mK; the critical boson density, n_c(Tc); and the absolute value of the BEC order parameter S_perp at very low temperature (T = 0.12 K). All results are accurately reproduced by numerical quantum Monte Carlo simulations of a realistic three-dimensional (3D) model Hamiltonian. Approximate analytical predictions based on the 1D Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid description are found to be precise for Tc(H), but less so for S_perp(H), which is more sensitive to the strength of 3D couplings, in particular close to the critical field. A mean-field treatment, based on the Hartree-Fock-Popov description, is found to be valid only up to n_c = 4% (T < 0.3 K), while for higher n_c boson interactions appear to modify the density of states.Comment: Manuscript (6 pages, 3 figures) and the corresponding Supplemental material (5 pages, 6 figures), altogether 11 pages and 9 figure

Impact of adiponectin gene polymorphisms on plasma lipoprotein and adiponectin concentrations of viscerally obese men

The aim of this study was first to examine the relationships between adiponectin gene (Apm1) polymorphisms and anthropometric indices as well as plasma adiponectin and lipoprotein/lipid levels, and then to investigate whether the presence of visceral obesity or insulin resistance may modulate the impact of these polymorphisms on metabolic risk variables. Molecular screening of the Apm1 gene was achieved, and a sample of 270 unrelated men recruited from the greater Quebec City area and selected to cover a wide range of body fatness values was genotyped. Sequencing of the Apm1 gene revealed two previously reported polymorphisms (c.45T>G and c.276G>T) as well as two newly identified genetic variations (−13752delT and −13702G>C). Carriers of the c.276T allele had higher LDL-cholesterol and lower HDL-triglyceride concentrations than did 276G/G homozygotes (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively). Carriers of the c.45G allele exhibited higher plasma adiponectin concentrations than did 45T/T homozygotes (P = 0.04). After dividing each genotype group into subgroups for visceral AT, homozygotes for the normal allele at position −13752delT, carriers of the c.45G allele, and carriers of the c.276T allele had similar total apolipoprotein B (apoB) concentrations, whether they were viscerally obese or not. These results suggest that some Apm1 gene polymorphisms influence plasma adiponectin concentrations and lipoprotein/lipid levels. In addition, the impact of these polymorphisms is modulated by the presence of visceral obesity

Statics and dynamics of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 ladders in a magnetic field

We investigate weakly coupled spin-1/2 ladders in a magnetic field. The work is motivated by recent experiments on the compound (C5H12N)2CuBr4 (BPCB). We use a combination of numerical and analytical methods, in particular the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) technique, to explore the phase diagram and the excitation spectra of such a system. We give detailed results on the temperature dependence of the magnetization and the specific heat, and the magnetic field dependence of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation rate of single ladders. For coupled ladders, treating the weak interladder coupling within a mean-field or quantum Monte Carlo approach, we compute the transition temperature of triplet condensation and its corresponding antiferromagnetic order parameter. Existing experimental measurements are discussed and compared to our theoretical results. Furthermore we compute, using time dependent DMRG, the dynamical correlations of a single spin ladder. Our results allow to directly describe the inelastic neutron scattering cross section up to high energies. We focus on the evolution of the spectra with the magnetic field and compare their behavior for different couplings. The characteristic features of the spectra are interpreted using different analytical approaches such as the mapping onto a spin chain, a Luttinger liquid (LL) or onto a t-J model. For values of parameters for which such measurements exist, we compare our results to inelastic neutron scattering experiments on the compound BPCB and find excellent agreement. We make additional predictions for the high energy part of the spectrum that are potentially testable in future experiments.Comment: 35 pages, 26 figure