Quenching of the Haldane gap in LiVSi

We report results of susceptibility χ and 7Li NMR measurements on LiVSi2O6. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility χ(T) exhibits a broad maximum, typical for low-dimensional magnetic systems. Quantitatively it is in agreement with the expectation for an S=1 spin chain, represented by the structural arrangement of V ions. The NMR results indicate antiferromagnetic ordering below TN=24 K. The intra- and interchain coupling J and Jp for LiVSi2O6, and also for its sister compounds LiVGe2O6, NaVSi2O6 and NaVGe2O6, are obtained via a modified random phase approximation which takes into account results of quantum Monte Carlo calculations. While Jp is almost constant across the series, J varies by a factor of 5, decreasing with increasing lattice constant along the chain direction. The comparison between experimental and theoretical susceptibility data suggests the presence of an easy-axis magnetic anisotropy, which explains the formation of an energy gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum below TN, indicated by the variation of the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate at T≪TN