What is the meaning of 'pseudo-spin wave' in solid state physics?

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In summary, pseudo-spin waves are a type of wave that is not a true spin wave."Pseudo-spin waves are a type of wave that is not a true spin wave. They are created when a two-level system is treated as a spin 1/2 system. Pseudo-spin waves can play a role in the evolution of pseudo-spin operators.
  • #1
oh1905
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Hi, I am not a physicist but a crystallographer. During I read a article I have found "Pseudo-spin wave", which I could not unterstand.
What dose it mean exactly?
Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
oh1905 said:
Hi, I am not a physicist but a crystallographer. During I read a article I have found "Pseudo-spin wave", which I could not unterstand.
What dose it mean exactly?
Thanks in advance.

It would help if you make an EXACT citation to whatever it is you are reading. It gave the rest of us the ability to check the CONTEXT in which such terms are used. This is especially true in cases where the same terms are used to mean different things in different areas.

This advice applies to everyone who wants to know what so-and-so means from something they read.

Zz.
 
  • #3
I read an article about a phase transition. There are generally two types of phase transition. It is said that in order - disorder systems, like KDP (KH2PO4), the soft collective excitation are not phonos but rather unstable pseudo-spin waves. But I don't understand what it means.
 
  • #4
oh1905 said:
I read an article about a phase transition. There are generally two types of phase transition. It is said that in order - disorder systems, like KDP (KH2PO4), the soft collective excitation are not phonos but rather unstable pseudo-spin waves. But I don't understand what it means.


And I responded:

"It would help if you make an EXACT citation to whatever it is you are reading."

If you believe that what you have just told me qualifies as an exact citation, then I am unable to help you.

Zz.
 
  • #5
oh1905, by exact citation, Zz means a reference to the article, including authors, journal, volume, page numbers and year.

Secondly, do you know what a spin-wave is ? Look for Bloch's theory of spin waves in ferromagnets (other spin waves are similar).

Next what you need is an understanding of pseudo-spin. As I'm not terribly familiar with this, I can't say much about it. The one context that I'm roughly aware of is in a 2-level system, you may choose to treat the system like a spin 1/2 system and define an operator that plays the role of Sz. This is your "pseudo-spin" operator and its evolution can give rise to pseudo-spin waves (I guess).
 
  • #6
Gokul43201 said:
oh1905, by exact citation, Zz means a reference to the article, including authors, journal, volume, page numbers and year.

Secondly, do you know what a spin-wave is ? Look for Bloch's theory of spin waves in ferromagnets (other spin waves are similar).

Next what you need is an understanding of pseudo-spin. As I'm not terribly familiar with this, I can't say much about it. The one context that I'm roughly aware of is in a 2-level system, you may choose to treat the system like a spin 1/2 system and define an operator that plays the role of Sz. This is your "pseudo-spin" operator and its evolution can give rise to pseudo-spin waves (I guess).

The problem in responding to something this vague is that I have no clue if a "pseudo-spin wave" is really just a bad terminology being used to refer to "magnons", or if it is really referring to a loosely-defined "spinons", similar to the system you mentioned. I've seen papers making references to "spin waves" to either of them.

It is why I asked for an exact citation.

Zz.
 
  • #7
ZapperZ said:
It is why I asked for an exact citation.

Zz.

I suspect the OP misunderstood what was meant by a citation.
 
  • #8
For example, in the articles by Chen Jun et al 1988 J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. 21 2255-2266 or T3 / 2 Contribution to the Specific Heat of Ferroelectrics at Low Temperatures by W. N. Lawless Phys. Rev. Lett. 36, 478–479 (1976), this terminology "pseudo-spin wave" is used. I guess, this terminology comes from spin-wave like the prefix "ferro" was borrowed form the field of ferromagnetism to take note of certain similarities of the properities of ferroelectrics and ferroelastics with those of ferromagnetics. But I could not find it in the books about solid state physics.
 

1. What is pseudo-spin wave?

Pseudo-spin wave is a collective excitation of a system of particles with half-integer spin, such as electrons. It is a quantum state that can be observed in certain types of materials, including solids and superfluids.

2. How is pseudo-spin wave different from regular spin wave?

Pseudo-spin wave is different from regular spin wave in terms of the type of particles involved. While regular spin wave involves particles with integer spin, pseudo-spin wave involves particles with half-integer spin. Additionally, pseudo-spin wave is a quantum phenomenon, whereas regular spin wave is a classical phenomenon.

3. What are some applications of pseudo-spin wave?

Pseudo-spin wave has various applications in the field of spintronics, which involves the manipulation of electron spin for information processing. It has also been studied in the context of quantum computing and topological quantum computing.

4. How is pseudo-spin wave related to topological insulators?

Pseudo-spin wave is closely related to topological insulators, as both involve the study of quantum states in materials. Topological insulators are materials that are insulating in the bulk, but conductive on the surface due to the presence of topologically protected states. Pseudo-spin wave has been observed in certain types of topological insulators.

5. What are some current research areas related to pseudo-spin wave?

Some current research areas related to pseudo-spin wave include the study of its properties in quantum materials, its interactions with other quantum states, and its potential applications in quantum computing and spintronics. Researchers are also investigating the use of pseudo-spin wave as a tool for probing the properties of topological insulators and other quantum systems.

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