No Arabic abstract
Conflicting predictions have been made for the ground state of the SU(3) Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice: Tensor network simulations found a plaquette order [Zhao et al, Phys. Rev. B 85, 134416 (2012)], where singlets are formed on hexagons, while linear flavor-wave theory (LFWT) suggested a dimerized, color ordered state [Lee and Yang, Phys. Rev. B 85, 100402 (2012)]. In this work we show that the former state is the true ground state by a systematic study with infinite projected-entangled pair states (iPEPS), for which the accuracy can be systematically controlled by the so-called bond dimension $D$. Both competing states can be reproduced with iPEPS by using different unit cell sizes. For small $D$ the dimer state has a lower variational energy than the plaquette state, however, for large $D$ it is the latter which becomes energetically favorable. The plaquette formation is also confirmed by exact diagonalizations and variational Monte Carlo studies, according to which both the dimerized and plaquette states are non-chiral flux states.
We study the possible ground state configurations of two strongly coupled chains of charge neutral spin-3/2 fermionic atoms interacting via short range van der Waals interaction. The coupling between the two chains is realized by relatively large hopping amplitude. Exploiting that such a ladder configuration can be mapped to an effective one-band model we analyze the emerging ground states of the system. We show that various spatially inhomogeneous states, valence bond states, plaquette states compete depending on the filling and the ratio of the interaction strengths in the singlet and quintet scattering channel. We find that a Luttinger liquid state is the ground state of the strongly coupled ladder in an extended region of the parameter space, and we also show that a topologically nontrivial charge Haldane state can emerge in the strongly coupled ladder at quarter and three-quarter fillings.
We study the plaquette valence-bond solid phase of the spin-1/2 J_1-J_2 antiferromagnet Heisenberg model on the square lattice within the bond-operator theory. We start by considering four S = 1/2 spins on a single plaquette and determine the bond operator representation for the spin operators in terms of singlet, triplet, and quintet boson operators. The formalism is then applied to the J_1-J_2 model and an effective interacting boson model in terms of singlets and triplets is derived. The effective model is analyzed within the harmonic approximation and the previous results of Zhitomirsky and Ueda [Phys. Rev. B 54, 9007 (1996)] are recovered. By perturbatively including cubic (triplet-triplet-triplet and singlet-triplet-triplet) and quartic interactions, we find that the plaquette valence-bond solid phase is stable within the parameter region 0.34 < J_2/J_1 < 0.59, which is narrower than the harmonic one. Differently from the harmonic approximation, the excitation gap vanishes at both critical couplings J_2 = 0.34 J_1 and J_2 = 0.59 J_1. Interestingly, for J_2 < 0.48 J_1, the excitation gap corresponds to a singlet-triplet excitation at the $Gamma$ point while, for J_2 > 0.48 J_1, it is related to a singlet-singlet excitation at the X = (pi/2,0) point of the tetramerized Brillouin zone.
The honeycomb lattice material Li2RuO3 undergoes a dimerization of Ru4+ cations on cooling below 270C, where the magnetic susceptibility vanishes. We use density functional theory calculations to show that this reflects the formation of a valence bond crystal, with a strong bond disproportionation. On warming, x-ray diffraction shows that discrete three-fold symmetry is regained on average, and the dimerization apparently disappears. In contrast, local structural measurements using high-energy x-rays, show that disordered dimers survive at the nanoscale up to at least 650C. The high temperature phase of Li2RuO3 is thus an example of a valence bond liquid, where thermal fluctuations drive resonance between different dimer coverages, a classic analogue of the resonating valence bond state often discussed in connection with high T$_c$ cuprates.
Using variational wave functions and Monte Carlo techniques, we study the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with first-neighbor $J_1$ and second-neighbor $J_2$ antiferromagnetic couplings on the honeycomb lattice. We perform a systematic comparison of magnetically ordered and nonmagnetic states (spin liquids and valence-bond solids) to obtain the ground-state phase diagram. Neel order is stabilized for small values of the frustrating second-neighbor coupling. Increasing the ratio $J_2/J_1$, we find strong evidence for a continuous transition to a nonmagnetic phase at $J_2/J_1 approx 0.23$. Close to the transition point, the Gutzwiller-projected uniform resonating valence bond state gives an excellent approximation to the exact ground-state energy. For $0.23 lesssim J_2/J_1 lesssim 0.4$, a gapless $Z_2$ spin liquid with Dirac nodes competes with a plaquette valence-bond solid. In contrast, the gapped spin liquid considered in previous works has significantly higher variational energy. Although the plaquette valence-bond order is expected to be present as soon as the Neel order melts, this ordered state becomes clearly favored only for $J_2/J_1 gtrsim 0.3$. Finally, for $0.36 lesssim J_2/J_1 le 0.5$, a valence-bond solid with columnar order takes over as the ground state, being also lower in energy than the magnetic state with collinear order. We perform a detailed finite-size scaling and standard data collapse analysis, and we discuss the possibility of a deconfined quantum critical point separating the Neel antiferromagnet from the plaquette valence-bond solid.
We investigate magnetic properties of strongly interacting four component spin-3/2 ultracold fermionic atoms in the Mott insulator limit with one particle per site in an optical lattice with honeycomb symmetry. In this limit, atomic tunneling is virtual, and only the atomic spins can exchange. We find a competition between symmetry breaking and liquid like disordered phases. Particularly interesting are valence bond states with bond centered magnetizations, situated between the ferromagnetic and conventional valence bond phases. In the framework of a mean-field theory, we calculate the phase diagram and identify an experimentally relevant parameter region where a homogeneous SU(4) symmetric Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki-like valence bond state is present.