No Arabic abstract
We calculate the magnetic and quasiparticle excitation spectra of an itinerant $J_1-J_2$ model for iron pnictides. In addition to an acoustic spin-wave branch, the magnetic spectrum has a second, optical branch, resulting from the coupled four-sublattice magnetic structure. The spin-wave velocity has also a planar directional anisotropy, due to the collinear/striped antiferromagnetism. Within the magnetically ordered phase, the quasiparticle spectrum is composed of two Dirac cones, resulting from the folding of the magnetic Brillouin zone. We discuss the relevance of our findings to the understanding of both neutron scattering and photoemission spectroscopy results for SrFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$.
The excitation spectrum of the frustrated spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg chain is reexamined using variational and exact diagonalization calculations. We show that the overlap matrix of the short-range resonating valence bond states basis can be inverted which yields tractable equations for single and two spinons excitations. Older results are recovered and new ones, such as the bond-state dispersion relation and its size with momentum at the Majumdar-Ghosh point are found. In particular, this approach yields a gap opening at $J_2=0.25J_1$ and an onset of incommensurability in the dispersion relation at $J_2=9/17J_1$ [as in S. Brehmer emph{et al.}, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter textbf{10}, 1103 (1998)]. These analytical results provide a good support for the understanding of exact diagonalization spectra, assuming an independent spinons picture.
We study the layered $J_1$-$J_2$ classical Heisenberg model on the square lattice using a self-consistent bond theory. We derive the phase diagram for fixed $J_1$ as a function of temperature $T$, $J_2$ and interplane coupling $J_z$. Broad regions of (anti)ferromagnetic and stripe order are found, and are separated by a first-order transition near $J_2approx 0.5$ (in units of $|J_1|$). Within the stripe phase the magnetic and vestigial nematic transitions occur simultaneously in first-order fashion for strong $J_z$. For weaker $J_z$ there is in addition, for $J_2^*<J_2 < J_2^{**}$, an intermediate regime of split transitions implying a finite temperature region with nematic order but no long-range stripe magnetic order. In this split regime, the order of the transitions depends sensitively on the deviation from $J_2^*$ and $J_2^{**}$, with split second-order transitions predominating for $J_2^* ll J_2 ll J_2^{**}$. We find that the value of $J_2^*$ depends weakly on the interplane coupling and is just slightly larger than $0.5$ for $|J_z| lesssim 0.01$. In contrast the value of $J_2^{**}$ increases quickly from $J_2^*$ at $|J_z| lesssim 0.01$ as the interplane coupling is further reduced. In addition, the magnetic correlation length is shown to directly depend on the nematic order parameter and thus exhibits a sharp increase (or jump) upon entering the nematic phase. Our results are broadly consistent with predictions based on itinerant electron models of the iron-based superconductors in the normal-state, and thus help substantiate a classical spin framework for providing a phenomenological description of their magnetic properties.
A two-orbital model for Fe-pnictide superconductors is investigated using computational techniques on two-dimensional square clusters. The hopping amplitudes are derived from orbital overlap integrals, or by band structure fits, and the spin frustrating effect of the plaquette-diagonal Fe-Fe hopping is remarked. A spin striped state is stable in a broad range of couplings in the undoped regime, in agreement with neutron scattering. Adding two electrons to the undoped ground state of a small cluster, the dominant pairing operators are found. Depending on parameters, two pairing operators were identified: they involve inter-xz-yz orbital combinations forming spin singlets or triplets, transforming according to the B_2g and A_2g representations of the D_4h group, respectively.
We investigate the magnetic properties of LiYbO$_2$, containing a three-dimensionally frustrated, diamond-like lattice via neutron scattering, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements. The stretched diamond network of Yb$^{3+}$ ions in LiYbO$_2$ enters a long-range incommensurate, helical state with an ordering wave vector ${bf{k}} = (0.384, pm 0.384, 0)$ that locks-in to a commensurate ${bf{k}} = (1/3, pm 1/3, 0)$ phase under the application of a magnetic field. The spiral magnetic ground state of LiYbO$_2$ can be understood in the framework of a Heisenberg $J_1-J_2$ Hamiltonian on a stretched diamond lattice, where the propagation vector of the spiral is uniquely determined by the ratio of $J_2/|J_1|$. The pure Heisenberg model, however, fails to account for the relative phasing between the Yb moments on the two sites of the bipartite lattice, and this detail as well as the presence of an intermediate, partially disordered, magnetic state below 1 K suggests interactions beyond the classical Heisenberg description of this material.
We study the phase diagram of the 2D $J_1$-$J_1$-$J_2$ spin-1/2 Heisenberg model by means of the coupled cluster method. The effect of the coupling $J_1$ on the Neel and stripe states is investigated. We find that the quantum critical points for the Neel and stripe phases increase as the coupling strength $J_1$ is increased, and an intermediate phase emerges above the region at $J_1 approx 0.6$ when $J_1=1$. We find indications for a quantum triple point at $J_1 approx 0.60 pm 0.03$, $J_2 approx 0.33 pm 0.02$ for $J_1=1$.