Abstract
We present the results of measurements of the thermal conductivity of the quasi-one-dimensional spin-chain compound in the temperature range between 0.4 and 300 K along the directions parallel and perpendicular to the chains. An anomalously enhanced thermal conductivity is observed along the chains above about 40 K. The analysis of the present data and a comparison with analogous recent results for and other similar materials demonstrates that this behavior is generic for cuprates with copper-oxygen chains and strong intrachain interactions. The observed anomalies are attributed to the one-dimensional energy transport by spin excitations (spinons), limited by the interaction between spin and lattice excitations. The energy transport along the spin chains has a nondiffusive character, in agreement with theoretical predictions for integrable models.
- Received 15 March 2001
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.64.054412
©2001 American Physical Society