  We present an inelastic neutron scattering investigation of Li2CuO2 detecting
the long sought quasi-1D magnetic excitations with a large dispersion along the
CuO2-chains studied up to 25 meV. The total dispersion is governed by a
surprisingly large ferromagnetic (FM) nearest-neighbor exchange integral
J1=-228 K. An anomalous quartic dispersion near the zone center and a
pronounced minimum near (0,0.11,0.5) r.l.u. (corresponding to a spiral
excitation with a pitch angle about 41 degree point to the vicinity of a 3D
FM-spiral critical point. The leading exchange couplings are obtained applying
standard linear spin-wave theory. The 2nd neighbor inter-chain interaction
suppresses a spiral state and drives the FM in-chain ordering below the Ne'el
temperature. The obtained exchange parameters are in agreement with the results
for a realistic five-band extended Hubbard Cu 3d O 2p model and L(S)DA+U
predictions.
