Field-induced magnon decays in dipolar quantum magnets

Abstract: We investigate the spontaneous disintegration of magnons in two-dimensional ferromagnets and antiferromagnets dominated by long-range dipolar interactions. Analyzing kinematic constraints, we show that the unusual dispersion of dipolar ferromagnets in a uniform magnetic field precludes magnon-decay at all fields, in sharp contrast to short-range exchange-driven magnets. However, in a staggered magnetic field, magnons can decay in both dipolar ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. Remarkably, such decays do not require a minimum threshold field, and happen over a nearly fixed fraction of the Brillouin Zone in the XY limit, highlighting the significant role played by dipolar interactions. In addition, topological transitions in the decay surfaces lead to singularities in the magnon spectrum. Regularizing such singular behavior via a self-consistent approach, we make predictions for dynamical spin correlations accessible to near-term quantum simulators and sensors.