The models constructed by Affleck, Kennedy, Lieb, and Tasaki describe a family of quantum antiferromagnets on arbitrary lattices, where the local spin S is an integer multiple M of half the lattice coordination number. The equal time quantum correlations in their ground states may be computed as finite temperature correlations of a classical O(3) model on the same lattice, where the temperature is given by T=1/M. In dimensions d=1 and d=2 this mapping implies that all AKLT states are quantum disordered. We consider AKLT states in d=3 where the nature of the AKLT states is now a question of detail depending upon the choice of lattice and spin; for sufficiently large S some form of Neel order is almost inevitable. On the unfrustrated cubic lattice, we find that all AKLT states are ordered while for the unfrustrated diamond lattice the minimal S=2 state is disordered while all other states are ordered. On the frustrated pyrochlore lattice, we find (conservatively) that several states starting with the minimal S=3 state are disordered. The disordered AKLT models we report here are a significant addition to the catalog of magnetic Hamiltonians in d=3 with ground states known to lack order on account of strong quantum fluctuations.
Two-dimensional AKLT model on a honeycomb lattice has been shown to be a universal resource for quantum computation. In this valence bond solid, however, the spin interactions involve higher powers of the Heisenberg coupling $(\vec{S}_i \cdot \vec{S}_j)^n$, making these states seemingly unrealistic on bipartite lattices, where one expects a simple antiferromagnetic order. We show that those interactions can be generated by orbital physics in multiorbital Mott insulators. We focus on $t_{2g}$ electrons on the honeycomb lattice and propose a physical realization of the spin-$3/2$ AKLT state. We …
We study spin-2 deformed-AKLT models on the square lattice, specifically a two-parameter family of $O(2)$-symmetric ground-state wavefunctions as defined by Niggemann, Klümper, and Zittartz, who found previously that the phase diagram consists of a Néel-ordered phase and a disordered phase which contains the AKLT point. Using tensor-network methods, we not only confirm the Néel phase but also find an XY phase with quasi-long-range order and a region adjacent to it, within the AKLT phase, with very large correlation length, and investigate the consequences of a perfectly factorizable point at t…
We study the spectral properties of a family of quantum antiferromagnets on two-dimensional (2D) lattices. This family of models is obtained by a deformation of the well-studied 2D quantum antiferromagnetic model of Affleck, Kennedy, Lieb and Tasaki (AKLT); they are described by two-body, frustration-free Hamiltonians on a three-colourable lattice of spins. Although the existence of a spectral gap in the 2D AKLT model remains an open question, we rigorously prove the existence of a gap for a subset of this family of quantum antiferromagnets. Along with providing new progress for the gap proble…
We propose that a valence-bond-solid (VBS) order can be stabilized in certain two-dimensional antiferromagnets due to spin-lattice coupling. In contrast to the VBS state of the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tesaki (AKLT) type in which the spin $2S$ and the lattice coordination $z$ must be commensurate, the spin-lattice coupling-induced VBS state can occur when $2S$ is not an integer multiple of $z$. As a concrete example, S=2 spins on the triangular network with $z=6$ is discussed. Within the Schwinger boson mean-field theory it is shown that the ground state is given by the $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ mo…
We present the class of models of a nonmagnetic impurity in S=1/2 generalized ladder with an AKLT-type valence bond ground state, and of a S=1/2 impurity in the S=1 AKLT chain. The ground state in presence of impurity can be found exactly. Recently studied phenomenon of local enhancement of antiferromagnetic correlations around the impurity is absent for this family of models.
Affleck, Kennedy, Lieb and Taski (AKLT) constructed an exemplary spin-3/2 valence-bond solid (VBS) state on the hexagonal lattice, which is the ground state of an isotropic quantum antiferromagnet and possesses no spontaneous magnetization but finite correlation length. This is distinct from the Néel ordered state of the spin-3/2 Heisenberg model on the same lattice. Niggemann, Klümper and Zittartz then generalized the AKLT Hamiltonian to one family invariant under spin rotation about the z-axis. The ground states of this family can be parameterized by a single parameter that deforms the AKLT …
We study the structure of quantum ground states of simplex solid models, which are generalizations of the valence bond construction for quantum antiferromagnets originally proposed by Affleck, Kennedy, Lieb, and Tasaki (AKLT) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 799 (1987)]. Whereas the AKLT states are created by application of bond singlet operators for SU(2) spins, the simplex solid construction is based on N-simplex singlet operators for SU(N) spins. In both cases, a discrete one-parameter family of translationally-invariant models with exactly solvable ground states is defined on any regular lattice, and…
A new method of writing down the path integral for spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain is introduced. In place of the conventional coherent state basis that leads to the non-linear sigma-model, we use a new basis called the fluctuating matrix product states (fMPS) which embodies inter-site entanglement from the outset. It forms an overcomplete set spanning the entire Hilbert space of the spin-1 chain. Saddle-point analysis performed for the bilinear-biquadratic spin model predicts Affeck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) state as the ground state in the vicinity of the AKLT Hamiltonian. Quadrat…
I define a set of wavefunctions for SU(N) lattice antiferromagnets, analogous to the valence bond solid states of Affleck, Kennedy, Lieb, and Tasaki (AKLT), in which the singlets are extended over N-site simplices. As with the valence bond solids, the new simplex solid (SS) states are extinguished by certain local projection operators, allowing us to construct Hamiltonians with local interactions which render the SS states exact ground states. Using a coherent state representation, we show that the quantum correlations in each SS state are calculable as the finite temperature correlations of a…
The 1D AKLT model is a paradigm of antiferromagnetism, and its ground state exhibits symmetry-protected topological order. On a 2D lattice, the AKLT model has recently gained attention because it too displays symmetry-protected topological order, and its ground state can act as a resource state for measurement-based quantum computation. While the 1D model has been shown to be gapped, it remains an open problem to prove the existence of a spectral gap on the 2D square lattice, which would guarantee the robustness of the resource state. Recently, it has been shown that one can deduce this spectr…
We perform a systematic investigation on the hexagon-singlet solid (HSS) states, which are a class of spin liquid candidates for the spin-1 kagome antiferromagnet. With the Schwinger boson representation, we show that all HSS states have exponentially decaying correlations and can be interpreted as a (special) subset of the resonating Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) loop states. We provide a compact tensor network representation of the HSS states, with which we are able to calculate physical observables efficiently. We find that the HSS states have vanishing topological entanglement entropy…
Optimizing translationally invariant infinite-Projected Entangled Pair States (iPEPS), we investigate the spin-2 Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) and spin-1 Heisenberg models on the Kagome lattice as a function of magnetic field. We found that the magnetization curves offer a wide variety of compressible and incompressible phases. Incompressible nematic phases breaking the lattice $C_3$ rotation -- for which we propose simple qualitative pictures -- give rise to magnetization plateaux at reduced magnetization $m_z=5/6$ and $m_z=1/3$ for spin-2 and spin-1, respectively, in addition to the $m_…
University of California, Irvine（加州大学尔湾分校）；Budapest University of Technology and Economics（布达佩斯技术与经济大学）；Institute of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics（布达佩斯技术与经济大学物理研究所）；Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics, IFW Dresden（德累斯顿IFW理论固体物理研究所）；Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence（维尔茨堡-德累斯顿卓越集群）；ELTE Eötvös Loránd University（厄特沃什·罗兰大学）；HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics（匈牙利研究与创新网络维格纳物理研究中心）；Eötvös Loránd University（厄特沃什·罗兰大学）
We study the influence of disorder and randomly distributed impurities on the properties of correlated antiferromagnets. To this end the Hubbard model with (i) random potentials, (ii) random hopping elements, and (iii) randomly distributed values of interaction is treated using quantum Monte Carlo and dynamical mean-field theory. In cases (i) and (iii) weak disorder can lead to an enhancement of antiferromagnetic (AF) order: in case (i) by a disorder-induced delocalization, in case (iii) by binding of free carriers at the impurities. For strong disorder or large impurity concentration antiferr…
We study properties of localized effective spins induced in gapped quantum spin chains by local inhomogeneities of the lattice. As a prototype, we study effective spins induced in impunity sites doped AKLT model by constructing the exact ground state in a matrix product state (MPS) form. We characterize their responses to external fields by studying an extended Zeeman interaction. We also study the antiferromagnetic bond-alternating Heisenberg chain with defect structures. For this model, an MPS representation similar to that for the AKLT model, "a uniform MPS with windows", is constructed, an…
In addition to the well known ferromagnetism, double perovskites are also expected to exhibit antiferromagnetic (AF) order driven by electron delocalisation. This has been seen in model Hamiltonian studies and confirmed via ab initio calculations. The AF phases should occur, for example, on sufficient electron doping of materials like Sr_2FeMoO_6 (SFMO) via La substitution for Sr. Clear experimental indication of such AF order is limited, possibly because of increase in antisite disorder with La doping on SFMO, although intriguing signatures of non ferromagnetic behaviour are seen. We study th…
It is shown that the mechanism of order out of disorder is at work in the antisymmetric pyrochlore antiferromagnet. Quantum as well as thermal fluctuations break the continuous degeneracy of the classical ground state manifold and reduce its symmetry to $\mathbb{Z}_3 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$. The role of anisotropic symmetric exchange is also investigated and we conclude that this discrete like ordering is robust with respect to these second order like interactions. The antisymmetric pyrochlore antiferromagnet is therefore expected to order at low temperatures, whatever the symmetry type of its in…
Interplay between Kondo effect and trends to antiferromagnetic and spin glass ordering in perfect and disordered bipartite Kondo lattices is considered. Ginzburg-Landau equation is derived from the microscopic effective action written in three mode representation (Kondo screening, antiferromagnetic correlations and spin liquid correlations). The problem of local constraint is resolved by means of Popov-Fedotov representation for localized spin operators. It is shown that the Kondo screening enhances the trend to a spin liquid crossover and suppresses antiferromagnetic ordering in perfect Kondo…
A model of disordered spin-Peierls system is considered, where domain walls are randomly distributed as a telegraph noise. For this realization of the disorder in an XX spin chain, we calculate exactly the density of states as well as several thermodynamic quantities. The resulting physical behavior should be qualitatively unchanged even for an XXZ chain, up to the isotropic XXX point. For weak disorder, besides a high energy regime where the behavior of a pure spin-Peierls system is recovered, there is a cross-over to a low energy regime with singular thermodynamic properties and enhanced ant…
We present a certain class of two-dimensional frustrated quantum Heisenberg spin systems with multiple ring exchange interactions which are rigorously demonstrated to have quantum disordered ground states without magnetic long-range order. The systems considered in this paper are s=1/2 antiferromagnets on a honeycomb and square lattices, and an s=1 antiferromagnet on a triangular lattice. We find that for a particular set of parameter values, the ground state is a short-range resonating valence bond state or a valence bond crystal state. It is shown that these systems are closely related to th…
Bi3Mn4O12(NO3), in which the Mn4+ ions carry S=3/2, is the first honeycomb lattice system that shows no long-range magnetic order. Using neutron scattering, we have determined that short-range antiferromagnetic correlations develop at low temperatures. Applied magnetic fields induce a magnetic transition, in which the short-range order abruptly expands into a long-range order.
We study the evolution of magnetic excitations in the disordered two-dimensional antiferromagnet Sr2Ir1-xRuxO4. A gigantic magnetic gap greater than 40 meV opens at x = 0.27 and increases with Ru concentration, rendering the dispersive magnetic excitations in Sr2IrO4 almost momentum independent. Up to a Ru concentration of x = 0.77, both experiments and first-principles calculations show the Ir Jeff = 1/2 state remains intact. The magnetic gap arises from the local interaction anisotropy in the proximity of the Ru disorder. Under the coherent potential approximation, we reproduce the experimen…
Ag2CrO2 is an S=3/2 frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet without orbital degree of freedom. With decreasing temperature, a 4-sublatice spin state develops. However, a long-range partially disordered state with 5 sublattices abruptly appears at TN=24 K, accompanied by a structural distortion, and persists at least down to 2 K. The spin-lattice coupling stabilizes the anomalous state, which is expected to appear only in limited ranges of further-neighbor interactions and temperature. It was found that the spin-lattice coupling is a common feature in triangular lattice antiferromagnets w…
A group symmetry analysis of the low lying levels of the spin-1/2 kagomé Heisenberg antiferromagnet is performed for small samples up to N=27. This approach allows to follow the effect of quantum fluctuations when the sample size increases. The results contradict the scenario of ``order by disorder'' which has been advanced on the basis of large S calculations. A large enough second neighbor ferromagnetic exchange coupling is needed to stabilize the $\sqrt 3 \times \sqrt 3$ pattern: the finite size analysis indicates a quantum critical transition at a non zero coupling.
Partial disorder --the microscopic coexistence of long-range magnetic order and disorder-- is a rare phenomenon, that has been experimental and theoretically reported in some Ising- or easy plane-spin systems, driven by entropic effects at finite temperatures. Here, we present an analytical and numerical analysis of the $S=1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the $\sqrt{3}\times \sqrt{3}$-distorted triangular lattice, which shows that its quantum ground state has partial disorder in the weakly frustrated regime. This state has a 180$^\circ$ Néel ordered honeycomb subsystem, coexisting with disor…
We have studied a system of light bosonic spinons interacting with compact gauge fields. By the generalization of the works by Polyakov on compact gauge fields the system is mapped to monopole plasma model and a model of open surfaces coupled to antisymmetric Kalb-Ramond gauge fields. The monopole correlation function in the presence of light spinon is computed based on these two models.
Two-dimensional disordered quantum antiferromagnets are studied by means of a continuum description in which disorder is introduced by a random distribution of couplings (spin stiffnesses) in the ordered phase of the Nonlinear Sigma Model. Quenched soliton (skyrmion) correlation functions are evaluated and used, along with the quenched magnetization, to characterize the phase structure of the system. When magnetic dilution is exponentially suppressed, the introduction of disorder only modifies the subleading terms in the large distance behavior of the soliton correlation functions, yielding th…
The recent NMR experiments on ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 motivate our study of the effect of non- magnetic defects on the antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 kagome lattice. We use exact diagonalization methods to study the effect of two such defects on finite size systems. Our results, obtained without adjustable parameters, are in good quantitative agreement with recent Oxygen 17 NMR data. They provide support for the experimental interpretation of the presence of defects within the kagome layers due to Zn/Cu substitutions. Our results also show that disorder effects become relevant at lower temperatures, raising…
We report the results of dc and ac magnetization measurements as a function of temperature (1.8 - 300 K) for the spin chain compound, Ca$_3$CoRhO$_6$, which has been recently reported to exhibit a partially disordered antiferromagnetic (PDAF) structure in the range 30 - 90 K and spin-glass freezing below 30 K. We observe an unexpectedly large frequency dependence of ac susceptibility in the T range 30 - 90 K, typical of superparamagnets. In addition, we find that there is no difference in the isothermal remanent magnetization behavior for the two regimes below 90 K. These findings call for mor…
In order to study an interplay of disorder, correlation, and spin imbalance on antiferromagnetism, we systematically explore the ground state of one-dimensional spin-imbalanced Anderson-Hubbard model by using the density-matrix renormalization group method. We find that disorders localize the antiferromagnetic spin density wave induced by imbalanced fermions and the increase of the disorder magnitude shrinks the areas of the localized antiferromagnetized regions. Moreover, the antiferromagnetism finally disappears above a large disorder. These behaviors are observable in atomic Fermi gases loa…
The ground state of the frustrated A-site magnetic spinel CoAl2O4 has been a controversial issue whether it is a collinear antiferromagnetic ordering or a spiral spin - liquid state, as the ratio of the two competing interactions, J2/J1 lies close to the boundary between these two ground states. Here, we address the magnetic ground state in CoAl2O4 with different amount of Co2+/Al3+ site disorder from the study of magnetoelectric effect and Monte Carlo simulations. CoAl2O4 with low site disorder exhibits linear magnetoelectric effect below the magnetic ordering temperature. With increasing dis…
Motivated by puzzling characteristics of spin-glass transitions widely observed in pyrochlore-based frustrated materials, we investigate effects of coupling to local lattice distortions in a bond-disordered antiferromagnet on the pyrochlore lattice by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. We show that the spin-glass transition temperature $\TSG$ is largely enhanced by the spin-lattice coupling, and furthermore, becomes almost independent of $Δ$ in a wide range of the disorder strength $Δ$. The critical property of the spin glass transition is indistinguishable from that of the canonical Heisenber…
We investigate a large class of antiferromagnetic spin-1 chains with nearest neighbour interaction and exactly known matrix product ground state. The spectrum of low-lying excitations is calculated numerically by DMRG and exact diagonalisation. Spin liquid behaviour with an excitation gap is observed meeting the Haldane scenario. Further, we compare properties of the anisotropic model with the well-known isotropic AKLT model and use the analytical single mode approximation to obtain a quantitative understanding of the excitation gap. The low-lying excited states can be interpreted in terms of …
A quantum critical point (QCP) between the antiferromagnetic and the paramagnetic phases was realized by applying a hydrostatic pressure of ~ 7 GPa on single crystals of NiS_{2} pyrite with a low residual resistivity, rho_{0}, of 0.5 mu-Omega-cm. We found that the critical behavior of the resistivity, rho, in this clean system contrasts sharply with those observed in its disordered analogue, NiS_{2-x}Se_{x} solid-solution, demonstrating the unexpectedly drastic effect of disorder on the quantum criticality. Over a whole paramagnetic region investigated up to P = 9 GPa, a crossover temperature,…
Field-induced magnetic ordering in the structurally disordered quantum magnets Ni(Cl$_{1-x}$Br$_x$)$_2$$\cdot$4SC(NH$_2$)$_2$, $x=8$% and 13%, is studied by means of neutron diffraction. The order parameter critical exponent is found to be very close to its value $β=0.5$ expected for magnetic Bose-Einstein condensation in the absence of disorder. This result applies to temperatures down to 40 mK, and a 1 T range in magnetic field. The crossover exponent is found to be $ϕ\sim 0.4$, for temperature ranges as small as 300 mK. Possible reasons for a discrepancy with recent numerical simulations an…
We study spin density wave quantum critical points in two dimensional metals with a quenched disorder potential coupling to the electron density. Adopting an $ε$-expansion around three spatial dimensions, where both disorder and the Yukawa-type interaction between electrons and bosonic order parameter fluctuations are marginal, we present a perturbative, one-loop renormalization group analysis of this problem, where the interplay between fermionic and bosonic excitations is fully incorporated. Considering two different Gaussian disorder models restricted to small-angle scattering, we show that…
We study a class of disordered continuous classical spin systems including the kagome Heisenberg magnet. While each term in its local Hamiltonian can be independently minimised, we find {\it discrete} degenerate ground states whose number grows exponentially with system size. These states do not exhibit zero-energy `excitations' characteristic of highly frustrated magnets but instead are local minima of the energy landscape, albeit with an anomalously soft excitation spectrum. This represents a spin liquid version of the phenomenon of jamming familiar from granular media and structural glasses…
The fragile nature of itinerant magnetism can be exploited using non-thermal parameters to study quantum criticality. The recently discovered quantum critical point (QCP) in the Sc-doped (hole-like doping) itinerant antiferromagnet TiAu (Ti$_{1-x}$Sc$_{x}$Au) raised questions about the effects of the crystal and electronic structures on the overall magnetic behavior. In this study, doping with V (electron-like doping) in Ti$_{1-x}$V$_{x}$Au introduces chemical disorder which suppresses antiferromagnetic order from $T_{\rm N} =$ 36~K for $x = 0$ down to 10 K for $x =$ 0.15, whereupon a solubili…
The (three-dimensional) pyrochlore lattice antiferromagnet with Heisenberg spins of large spin length $S$ is a highly frustrated model with an macroscopic degeneracy of classical ground states. The zero-point energy of (harmonic order) spin wave fluctuations distinguishes a subset of these states. I derive an approximate but illuminating {\it effective Hamiltonian}, acting within the subspace of Ising spin configurations representing the {\it collinear} ground states. It consists of products of Ising spins around loops, i.e has the form of a $Z_2$ lattice gauge theory. The remaining ground sta…
In this paper we present a detailed study of the antiferromagnetic classical Heisenberg model on a bilayer honeycomb lattice in a highly frustrated regime in presence of a magnetic field. This study shows strong evidence of entropic order-by-disorder selection in different sectors of the magnetization curve. For antiferromagnetic couplings $J_1=J_x=J_p/3$, we find that at low temperatures there are two different regions in the magnetization curve selected by this mechanism with different number of soft and zero modes. These regions present broken $Z_2$ symmetry and are separated by a not fully…
We observe a disappearance of the 1/3 magnetization plateau and a striking change of the magnetic configuration under a moderate doping of the model triangular antiferromagnet RbFe(MoO4)2. The reason is an effective lifting of degeneracy of mean-field ground states by a random potential of impurities, which compensates, in the low temperature limit, the fluctuation contribution to free energy. These results provide a direct experimental confirmation of the fluctuation origin of the ground state in a real frustrated system. The change of the ground state to a least collinear configuration revea…
We investigated the crystal and magnetic structures of the spin-1/2 frustrated antiferromagnet Cu3Mo2O9 in which the spin system consists of antiferromagnetic chains and dimers. The space group at room temperature has been reported to be orthorhombic Pnma (No. 62). We infer that the space group above TN = 7.9 K is monoclinic P2_1/m (No. 11) from the observation of reflections forbidden in Pnma in x-ray powder diffraction experiments at room temperature. We determined the magnetic structure of Cu3Mo2O9 in neutron powder diffraction experiments. Magnetic moments on dimer sites lie in the ac plan…
We study the impact of a weak bond disorder on the spinon heat transport in the S=1/2 antiferromagnetic (AFM) Heisenberg chain material Sr_{1-x}Ca_xCuO_2. We observe a drastic suppression in the magnetic heat conductivity kappa_mag even at tiny disorder levels (i.e., Ca-doping levels), in stark contrast to previous findings for kappa_mag of S=1/2 two-dimensional square lattice and two-leg spin-ladder systems, where a similar bond disorder has no effect on kappa_mag. Hence, our results underpin the exceptional role of integrability of the S=1/2 AFM Heisenberg chain model and suggest that the bo…
Using the determinant quantum Monte Carlo method, we investigate the antiferromagnetic phase transition that is induced by the Zeeman field in a disordered interacting two-dimensional Dirac fermion system. At a fixed interaction strength $U$, the antiferromagnetic correlation is enhanced as the magnetic filed increases, and when the magnetic field is larger than a $B_{c}(U)$, the antiferromagnetic correlation shall be suppressed by the increased magnetic field. The impact of Zeeman field $B$, Coulomb repulsion $U$ and disorder $Δ$ is not isolated. The intensity of magnetic field effect on the …
We discuss the role of quantum fluctuations in Heisenberg antiferromagnets on face-centered cubic lattice with small dipolar interaction in which the next-nearest-neighbor exchange coupling dominates over the nearest-neighbor one. It is well known that a collinear magnetic structure which contains (111) ferromagnetic planes arranged antiferromagnetically along one of the space diagonals of the cube is stabilized in this model via order-by-disorder mechanism. On the mean-field level, the dipolar interaction forces spins to lie within (111) planes. By considering 1/S - corrections to the ground …
Recent numerical results [Gonzalez $\textit{et al.}$, Phys. Rev. Lett. $\textbf{122}$, 017201 (2019); Shimada $\textit{et al.}$, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. $\textbf{969}$, 012126 (2018)] point to the existence of a partial-disorder ground state for a spin-1/2 antiferromagnet on the stuffed honeycomb lattice, with 2/3 of the local moments ordering in an antiferromagnetic Néel pattern, while the remaining 1/3 of the sites display short-range correlations only, akin to a quantum spin liquid. We derive an effective model for this disordered subsystem, by integrating out fluctuations of the ordered local …
We present the results of an exact diagonalization study of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a two-dimensional version of the pyrochlore lattice, also known as the square lattice with crossings or the checkerboard lattice. Examining the low energy spectra for systems of up to 24 spins, we find that all clusters studied have non-degenerate ground states with total spin zero, and big energy gaps to states with higher total spin. We also find a large number of non-magnetic excitations at energies within this spin gap. Spin-spin and spin-Peierls correlation functions appear to be short-r…
$S$ = 1/2 Ising kagome antiferromagnets (KAFs) are rare in reality. In this work, we report the magnetic ground state and field-induced transitions of an $S$ = 1/2 Ising antiferromagnet with a stacked kagome geometry, Na$_5$Co$_{15.5}$Te$_6$O$_{36}$. Upon cooling, magnetic susceptibility measurement reveals three successive magnetic transitions at $T_1$ = 45.2 K, $T_2$ = 35.4 K, and $T_3 \sim$ 20 K. When the magnetic field is applied along the Ising $c$ axis, a strikingly anomalous initial magnetization lying outside the hysteresis loop is observed below $T_3$. Through the detailed characteriz…
The spin-fermion model has long been used to describe the quantum-critical behavior of 2d electron systems near an antiferromagnetic (AFM) instability. Recently, the standard procedure to integrate out the fermions to obtain an effective action for spin waves has been questioned in the clean case. We show that in the presence of disorder, the single fermion loops display two crossover scales: upon lowering the energy, the singularities of the clean fermionic loops are first cut off, but below a second scale new singularities arise that lead again to marginal scaling. In addition, impurity line…
Frustration refers to competition between different interactions that cannot be simultaneously satisfied, a familiar feature in many magnetic solids. Strong frustration results in highly degenerate ground states, and a large suppression of ordering by fluctuations. Key challenges in frustrated magnetism are characterizing the fluctuating spin-liquid regime and determining the mechanism of eventual order at lower temperature. Here, we study a model of a diamond lattice antiferromagnet appropriate for numerous spinel materials. With sufficiently strong frustration a massive ground state degenera…
We formulate a real-space renormalization scheme that allows the study of the effects of bond randomness in the Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin-1 chain. There are four types of bonds that appear during the renormalization flow. We implement numerically the decimation procedure. We give a detailed study of the probability distributions of all these bonds in the phases that occur when the strength of the disorder is varied. Approximate flow equations are obtained in the weak-disorder regime as well as in the strong disorder case where the physics is that of the random singlet phase.
Strain applied to a condensed-matter system can be used to engineer its excitation spectrum via artificial gauge fields, or it may tune the system through transitions between different phases. Here we demonstrate that strain tuning of the ground state of otherwise highly degenerate frustrated systems can induce novel phases, both ordered and disordered. For the classical Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the kagome lattice, we show that weak triaxial strain reduces the degeneracies of the system, leading to a classical spin liquid with non-coplanar configurations, while stronger strain drives the …
We present an investigation of the effect of randomizing exchange strengths in the $S=1/2$ square lattice quasi-two-dimensional quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet (QuinH)$_2$Cu(Cl$_{x}$Br$_{1-x}$)$_{4}\cdot$2H$_2$O (QuinH$=$Quinolinium, C$_9$H$_8$N$^+$), with $0\leq x \leq 1$. Pulsed-field magnetization measurements allow us to estimate an effective in-plane exchange strength $J$ in a regime where exchange fosters short-range order, while the temperature $T_{\mathrm{N}}$ at which long range order (LRO) occurs is found using muon-spin relaxation, allowing us to construct a phase diagram for the…
The paper considers the effects of random fluctuations of the local spin connectivities (fluctuations of the geometry) on ground state properties of a two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnet. We analyse the behavior of spins described by the Heisenberg model as a function of what we call phason flip disorder, following a terminology used for aperiodic systems. The calculations were carried out both within linear spin wave theory and using quantum Monte Carlo simulations. An "order by disorder" phenomenon is observed in this model, wherein antiferromagnetism is found to be enhanced by phason di…
Examples of materials where an "order by disorder" mechanism is at play to select a particular ground state are scarce. It has recently been proposed, however, that the antiferromagnetic XY pyrochlore Er2Ti2O7, reveals a most convincing case of this mechanism. Observation of a spin gap at zone centers has recently been interpreted as a corroboration of this physics. In this paper, we argue, however, that the anisotropy generated by the interaction-induced admixing between the crystal-field ground and excited levels provides for an alternative mechanism. It especially predicts the opening of a …
Motivated by puzzling aspects of spin-glass behavior reported in frustrated magnetic materials, we theoretically investigate effects of magnetoelastic coupling in geometrically frustrated classical spin models. In particular, we consider bond-disordered Heisenberg antiferromagnets on a pyrochlore lattice coupled to local lattice distortions. By integrating out the lattice degree of freedom, we derive an effective spin-only model, the bilinear-biquadratic model with bond disorder, which is analyzed by classical Monte Carlo simulations. First, we discuss the phase diagrams as well as thermodynam…
