Large Negative Quantum Renormalization of Excitation Energies in the Spin-1/2 Kagome Lattice Antiferromagnet Cs$_2$Cu$_3$SnF$_{12}$

Abstract

Magnetic excitations in the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ distorted kagome lattice antiferromagnet Cs$_2$Cu$_3$SnF$_{12}$, which has an ordered ground state owing to the strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, were studied using inelastic neutron scattering. Although the spin-wave dispersion can be qualitatively understood in terms of linear spin-wave theory (LSWT), the excitation energies are renormalized by a factor of approximately 0.6 from those calculated by LSWT, almost irrespective of the momentum transfer. This inadequacy of LSWT, which is attributed to quantum fluctuations, provides evidence of negative quantum renormalization in the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ kagome lattice antiferromagnet.