Coupling of magnetism and Dirac fermions in YbMnSb2

Abstract

We report inelastic neutron scattering measurements of magnetic excitations in YbMnSb2, a low-carrier-density Dirac semimetal in which the antiferromagnetic Mn layers are interleaved with Sb layers that host Dirac fermions. We observe a measurable broadening of spin waves, which is consistent with substantial spin-fermion coupling. The spin-wave damping γ in YbMnSb2 is roughly twice larger compared to that in a sister material, YbMnBi2, where an indication of a small damping consistent with a theoretical analysis of the spin-fermion coupling was reported. The interplane interaction between the Mn layers in YbMnSb2 is also much stronger, suggesting that the interaction mechanism is rooted in the same spin-fermion coupling. Our results establish the systematics of spin-fermion interactions in layered magnetic Dirac materials.