High-frequency spin waves in YBa2Cu3O6.15.

Pulsed neutron spectroscopy is used to make absolute measurements of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility of insulating YBa2Cu3O6.15. Acoustic and optical modes, derived from in- and out-of-phase oscillation of spins in adjacent CuO2 planes, dominate the spectra and are observed up to 250 meV. The optical modes appear first at 74 meV. Linear-spin-wave theory gives an excellent description of the data and yields intra- and inter-layer exchange constants of J_parallel =125 meV and J_perp = 11 meV respectively and a spin-wave intensity renormalization Z_chi = 0.4.