A systematic field-theory approach to electron spin resonance (ESR) in the $S=1/2\mathrm{}$ quantum antiferromagnetic chain at low temperature T (compared to the exchange coupling J) is developed. In particular, effects of a transverse staggered field h and an exchange anisotropy (including a dipolar interaction) δ on the ESR line shape are discussed. In the lowest order perturbation theory, the linewidth is given as $\propto {\mathrm{Jh}}^2{/T}^2$ and $\propto (\delta {/J)}^{2}T,$ respectively. In the case of a transverse staggered field, the perturbative expansion diverges at lower temperature; nonperturbative effects at very low temperature are discussed using exact results on the sine-Gordon field theory. We also compare our field-theory results with the predictions of Kubo-Tomita theory for the high-temperature regime, and discuss the crossover between the two regimes. It is argued that a naive application of the standard Kubo-Tomita theory to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction gives an incorrect result. A rigorous and exact identity on the polarization dependence is derived for certain class of anisotropy, and compared with the field-theory results.

• Received 13 August 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.65.134410