We investigate the ground-state properies of the $K-Γ$ model on a honeycomb lattice using series expansions and numerical exact diagonalizations, where the model includes Kitaev ($K$) and symmetric off-diagonal ($Γ$) interactions. Starting from the weakly interacting dimers on the specific bond, we strengthen the interdimer interactions to the isotropically interacting system. We show that depending on $Γ$ and $K$, the dimer state survives up to the isotropically interacting system, where the phase transition occurs, or obeys a phase transition to a magnetically ordered state at an anisotropic interaction. The results are summarized in the phase diagram. We also show that the Kekulé dimerized state is unstable in the isotropic $K-Γ$ model.
We use a projective symmetry group analysis to determine all symmetric spin liquids on the stuffed honeycomb lattice Heisenberg model. This lattice interpolates between honeycomb, triangular and dice lattices, always preserving hexagonal symmetry, and it already has one spin liquid candidate, TbInO$_3$, albeit with strong spin-orbit coupling not considered here. In addition to the stuffed honeycomb lattice itself, we gain valuable insight into potential spin liquids on the honeycomb and triangular lattices, as well as how they might be connected. For example, the sublattice pairing state propo…
We investigate the interacting Dirac fermions on honeycomb lattice by cluster dynamical mean-field theory (CDMFT) combined with continuous time quantum Monte Carlo simulation (CTQMC). A novel scenario for the semimetal-Mott insulator transition of the interacting Dirac fermions is found beyond the previous DMFT studies. We demonstrate that the non-local spatial correlations play a vital role in the Mott transition on the honeycomb lattice. We also elaborate the experimental protocol to observe this phase transition by the ultracold atoms on optical honeycomb lattice.
The Kitaev-Heisenberg model defined on both honeycomb and triangular lattices has been studied intensively in recent years as a possible model to describe spin-orbital physics in iridium oxides. In the model, there are many phases characteristic for each lattice. However, there is no study how the phases in the two lattices merge each other when geometry changes from honeycomb lattice to triangular lattice. We investigate the ground state of the Kitaev-Heisenberg model defined on the system connecting the honeycomb and triangular lattices, named a honeycomb-triangular lattice. We obtain a grou…
We introduce the idea of emergent lattices, where a simple lattice decouples into two weakly-coupled lattices as a way to stabilize spin liquids. In LiZn2Mo3O8, the disappearance of 2/3rds of the spins at low temperatures suggests that its triangular lattice decouples into an emergent honeycomb lattice weakly coupled to the remaining spins, and we suggest several ways to test this proposal. We show that these orphan spins act to stabilize the spin-liquid in the $J_1-J_2$ honeycomb model and also discuss a possible 3D analogue, Ba2MoYO6 that may form a "depleted fcc lattice."
It is shown that the unique sign structure of the ground state of the Hubbard model on honeycomb lattice, which is shown to be insensitive to the trapped $Z_{2}$ gauge flux when the system is defined on a torus, may cause the absence of topological degeneracy on this bipartite system. Examples of variational Mott insulating state on the honeycomb lattice are given to illustrate the close relation between the sign structure of the ground state and the (absence of) topological degeneracy.
We use determinantal quantum Monte Carlo simulations and numerical linked-cluster expansions to study thermodynamic properties and short-range spin correlations of fermions in the honeycomb lattice. We find that, at half filling and finite temperatures, nearest-neighbor spin correlations can be stronger in this lattice than in the square lattice, even in regimes where the ground state in the former is a semimetal or a spin liquid. The honeycomb lattice also exhibits a more pronounced anomalous region in the double occupancy that leads to stronger adiabatic cooling than in the square lattice. W…
Using a hybrid method based on fermionic diagonalization and classical Monte Carlo, we investigate the interplay between itinerant and localized spins, with competing double- and super-exchange interactions, on a honeycomb lattice. For moderate superexchange, a geometrically frustrated triangular lattice of hexagons forms spontaneously. For slightly larger superexchange a dimerized groundstate is stable that has macroscopic degeneracy. The presence of these states on a non-frustrated honeycomb lattice highlights a novel phenomenon in this itinerant electron system: emergent geometrical frustra…
In this paper, the honeycomb Hubbard model in optical lattices is investigated using O(3) non-linear sigma model. A possible quantum non-magnetic insulator in a narrow parameter region is found near the metal-insulator transition. We study the corresponding dynamics of magnetic properties, and find that the narrow region could be widened by hole doping.
We investigate the classical phase diagram of the stuffed honeycomb Heisenberg lattice, which consists of a honeycomb lattice with a superimposed triangular lattice formed by sites at the center of each hexagon. This lattice encompasses and interpolates between the honeycomb, triangular and dice lattices, preserving the hexagonal symmetry while expanding the phase space for potential spin liquids. We use a combination of iterative minimization, classical Monte Carlo and analytical techniques to determine the complete ground state phase diagram. It is quite rich, with a variety of non-coplanar …
High-frequency ESR results on the S=1/2 Heisenberg hexagonal antiferromagnet InCu2/3V1/3O3 are reported. This compound appears to be a rare model substance for the honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet with very weak interlayer couplings. The high-temperature magnetic susceptibility can be interpreted by the S=1/2 honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet, and it shows a magnetic-order-like anomaly at TN=38 K. Although, the resonance field of our high-frequency ESR shows the typical behavior of the antiferromagnetic resonance, the linewidth of our high-frequency ESR continues to increase below TN, while i…
We synthesize and study single crystals of the layered honeycomb lattice Mott insulators Na2RuO3 and Li2RuO3 with magnetic Ru4+(4d4) ions. The newly found Na2RuO3 features a nearly ideal honeycomb lattice and orders antiferromagnetically at 30 K. Single-crystals of Li2RuO3 adopt a honeycomb lattice with either C2/m or more distorted P21/m below 300 K, depending on detailed synthesis conditions. We find that Li2RuO3 in both structures hosts a well-defined magnetic state, in contrast to the singlet ground state found in polycrystalline Li2RuO3. A phase diagram generated based on our results unco…
In this research has been studied the possibility of existence the neutral triplet collective mode in undoped graphene and graphite without one-cone approximation. This work tries to study this collective mode from different points of view. It also studies the effects of on-site Hubbard interaction on neutral collective mode in honeycomb lattice via two representations (sub-lattice and eigenvector). The effective long rang interaction in honeycomb lattice has been introduced for studying the spin collective mode. This work shows that short and effective long range interactions are not responsi…
Motivated by the recent numerical simulations for doped $t$-$J$ model on the honeycomb lattice, we study superconductivity of singlet and triplet pairing on the honeycomb lattice Hubbard model. We show that a superconducting state with coexisting spin-singlet and spin-triplet pairings is induced by the antiferromagnetic order near half filling. The superconducting state we obtain has a topological phase transition that separates a topologically trivial state and a nontrivial state with Chern number two. Possible experimental realization of such a topological superconductivity is also discussed…
Using exact diagonalization calculations, we investigate the ground-state phase diagram of the hard-core Bose-Hubbard-Haldane model on the honeycomb lattice. This allows us to probe the stability of the Bose-metal phase proposed in Varney et al (2011 Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 077201), against various changes in the originally studied Hamiltonian.
We study the evolution of the pairing from weak to strong coupling on a honeycomb lattice by Quantum Monte Carlo. We show numerical evidence of the BCS-BEC crossover as the coupling strength increases on a honeycomb lattice with small fermi surface by measuring a wide range of observables: double occupancy, spin susceptibility, local pair correlation, and kinetic energy. Although at low energy, the model sustains Dirac fermions, we do not find significant qualitative difference in the BCS-BEC crossover as compared to those with an extended Fermi surface, except at weak coupling, BCS regime.
We analyze the biquadratic bilinear Heisenberg magnet on a honeycomb lattice via Schwinger boson formalism. Due to their vulnerability to quantum fluctuations, non conventional lattices (kagome, triangular and honeycomb for example) have been cited as candidates to support spin liquid states. Such states without long range order at zero temperature are known in one-dimensional spin models but their existence in higher dimensional systems is still under debate. Biquadratic interaction is responsible for various possibilities and phases as it is well-founded for one-dimensional systems. Here we …
A semimetal-insulator transition in the Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice is studied by using the dynamical mean field theory. Electrons in the honeycomb lattice resemble the Dirac electron liquid and for weak interactions the system is semimetal. With increasing the local interaction a semimetal-insulator transition occurs. We find a nonanalytical structure of the phase transition which consists of a first-order transition line ending in a second-order transition point and high-temperature crossover line. A phase separation of semimetal and insulator occurs at low temperatures. Maxwell c…
We investigate phases of spinless fermions on the honeycomb lattice with nearest neighbor interaction in the Hofstadter regime. The interaction induces incompressible nematic and ferri-electric phases with broken translation symmetry. Some of the transitions are accompanied by changes in the Hall conductivity. We study pair correlations and show that the quantum metric, averaged over the Brillouin zone, characterizes the shape of the pair correlation function.
We propose that spin-fluctuation-mediated spin-triplet superconductivity may be realized in repulsive Hubbard models with disconnected Fermi surfaces. The idea is confirmed for Hubbard models on triangular (dilute band filling) and honeycomb (near half-filling) lattices using fluctuation exchange approximation, where triplet pairing order parameter with f-wave symmetry is obtained. Possible relevance to real superconductors is suggested.
Bilayer honeycomb lattice, with inter-layer tunneling energy, has a parabolic dispersion relation, which causes the charge imbalance between two sublattices. Here, we investigate the metal-insulator and magnetic phase transitions on the strongly correlated bilayer honeycomb lattice by cellular dynamical mean-field theory combined with continuous time quantum Monte Carlo method. We find that different kinds of magnetic spontaneous symmetry breaking on dimer and non-dimer sites, cause a novel phase transition between normal anti-ferromagnet and layer anti-ferromagnet. We sketch the phase diagram…
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 have explored the hidden symmetries of a generic four-parameter nearest-neighbor spin model, allowed in honeycomb lattice compounds under trigonal compression. Our method utilizes a systematic algorithm to identify all dual transformations of the model that map the Hamiltonian on itself, changing the parameters and providing exact links between different points in its parameter space. We have found the complete set of points of hidden SU(2) symmetry at which seemingly highly anisotropic model can be mapped back on the Heisenberg model and inherits therefore its properties such as the presen…
Li2MnO3 with a S=3/2 two-dimensional Mn honeycomb lattice has a Neel-type antiferromagnetic transition at TN=36 K with a broad maximum in the magnetic susceptibility at TM=48 K. We have investigated site percolation effects by replacing Mn with nonmagnetic Ti, and completed a full phase diagram of Li2Mn1-xTixO3 solid solution systems to find that the antiferromagnetic transition is suppressed continuously without a clear sign of changes in the Neel-type antiferromagnetic structure. The magnetic ordering eventually disappears at a critical concentration of xc=0.7. This experimental observation …
We study the combined effects of lattice deformation, e-e interaction and spin-orbit coupling in a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattice. We adopt different kinds of hopping modulation--generalized dimerization and a Kekule distortion--and calculate topological invariants for the non-interacting system and for the interacting system. We identify the parameter range (Hubbard U, hopping modulation, spin-orbit coupling) where the 2D system behaves as a trivial insulator or Quantum Spin Hall Insulator.
In this paper we generalized the slave-particle technique to study the phase diagram of the Hubbard model on honeycomb lattice which may contain charge fluctuations. For large $U$, we have antiferromagnetic order phase. As we decrease $U$ below $U_{c2}\simeq 3t$, the system undergoes a first order phase transition into a gapped spin rotation invariant phase. Under a semiclassical approximation of the slave-particle approach, we find that such phase breaks the translation symmetry, the parity and the lattice rotation symmetry. However, beyond the semiclassical approximation, a $Z_2$ spin liquid…
We show the chiral d-wave RVB state on honeycomb lattice stands as a natural generalization of the staggered flux phase on square lattice. Although the state is generated from a time reversal symmetry broken mean field ansatz, it actually represents a fully symmetric spin liquid state with a positive definite wave function in the sense of Marshall sign rule for unfrustrated antiferromagnets. The evolution of the state with the parameter $Δ/χ$ follows exactly the same manner as that of the staggered flux phase on square lattice. The critical pairing strength corresponding to the $π$-flux phase …
As a model for the B 2pz bands of MgB$_2$, a half-filled Hubbard model on a honeycomb lattice is studied, and a possibility of an antiferromagnetism (AF) at the ground state is examined by Monte Carlo calculations as well as a random phase approximation method. On a single-layer honeycomb lattice, a paramagnetic to AF phase transition occurs at a finite value of the repulsion energy $U_c/t \simeq 3.6$, due to the loss of the density of states at the fermi level. On a layered honeycomb lattice, however, inter-layer hopping term creates a perfect nesting of the fermi surface, and leads the AF wi…
We present a quantu spin liquid state in a spin-1/2 honeycomb lattice with randomness in the exchange interaction. That is, we successfully introduce randomness into the organic radial-based complex and realize a random-singlet (RS) state. All magnetic and thermodynamic experimental results indicate the liquid-like behaviors, which are consistent with those expected in the RS state. These results demonstrate that the randomness or inhomogeneity in the actual systems stabilize the RS state and yield liquid-like behavior.
New frustrated antiferromagnetic compounds CuRE2Ge2O8 (RE=Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) have been investigated using high-resolution x-ray diffraction, magnetic and heat capacity measurements. These systems show different magnetic lattices depending on rare-earth element. The nonmagnetic Eu compound is a S=1/2 two-dimensional triangular antiferromagnetic lattice oriented in the ac plane with geometrical frustration. On the other hand, the Pr, Nd, and Sm compounds show a three-dimensional honeycomb-tunnel-like lattice made of RE^3+ running along the a axis with the characteristic behavior of frustrated antif…
We discover a new type of multiple-$q$ state, "ripple state", in a frustrated honeycomb-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet under magnetic fields. The ground state has an infinite ring-like degeneracy in the wavevector space, exhibiting a cooperative paramagnetic state, "ring-liquid" state. We elucidate that the system exhibits the ripple state as a new low-temperature thermodynamic phase via a second-order phase transition from the ring-liquid state, keeping the ring-like spin structure factor. The spin texture in real space looks like a "water ripple" and can induce a giant electric polarizat…
Motivated by the possible charge ordering in the recently discovered superconductor Na_xCoO_2 yH_2O, which at filling x=1/3 would correspond to a half-filled honeycomb lattice, we investigate the single-hole dynamics of the t-J model on this lattice. Using exact diagonalization, series expansion and the self-consistent Born approximation, we calculate the quasi-particle dispersion, bandwidth and residues and compare our findings with the well established results for the square lattice. Given the similarities between both lattices, it is not surprising that we find qualitatively similar feature…
We study themagnetism of a spin-1 substance Li2Ni2Mo3O12. The spin system consists of distorted honeycomb lattices and linear chains of Ni2+ spins. Li+ ions enter about 25% and 50% of the honeycomb and chain Ni sites, respectively, creating disorder in both spin subsystems. A magnetic phase transition occurs at Tc = 8.0 K in the zero magnetic field. In low magnetic fields, the magnetization increases rapidly below Tc, decreases below 7 K, and finally becomes negative at low temperatures. We determine the magnetic structure using neutron powder diffraction results. The honeycomb lattices and li…
We performed an inelastic neutron scattering experiment on a polycrystalline sample of a helimagnet Ni$_2$InSbO$_6$ to construct the spin Hamiltonian. Well-defined spin-wave excitation with a band energy of 20 meV was observed below $T_{N} = 76$ K. Using the linear spin-wave theory, the spectrum was reasonably reproduced with honeycomb spin layers coupled along the stacking axis (the $c$ axis). The proposed spin model reproduces the soliton lattice induced by a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the $c$ axis.
Phase transitions involving spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking are studied on the honeycomb lattice at finite hole-doping with next-nearest-neighbor repulsion. We derive an exact expression for the mean-field equation of state in closed form, valid at temperatures much less than the Fermi energy. Contrary to standard expectations, we find that thermally induced intraband particle-hole excitations can create and stabilize a uniform metallic phase with broken time-reversal symmetry as the temperature is "raised" in a region where the groundstate is a trivial metal.
Lattice Wigner crystal states stabilized by long-range Coulomb interactions have recently been realized in two-dimensional moiré materials. We employ large-scale unrestricted Hartree-Fock techniques to unveil the magnetic phase diagrams of honeycomb lattice Wigner crystals. For the three lattice filling factors with the largest charge gaps, n = 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, the magnetic phase diagrams contain multiple phases, including ones with non-collinear and non-coplanar spin arrangements. We discuss magnetization evolution with external magnetic field, which has potential as an experimental signature o…
Within the linear flavor-wave theory, we show that, caused by quantum order-by-disorder mechanism, the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model defined on a honeycomb lattice can spontaneously develop a columnar dimer order with a non-bipartite structure. The low-lying excitations above this novel ground state form several flat bands separated by nonzero energy gaps. Our results suggest that the quantum phase transition separating this dimerized phase with the nearby Néel-order one may be of first order.
We theoretically propose possible magnetism-induced negative thermal expansion in honeycomb-lattice antiferromagnets with edge-sharing networks of $MX_6$ octahedra where $M$ and $X$ are transition-metal and ligand ions, respectively. In this crystal structure, the nearest-neighbor exchange interaction is composed of two competing contributions, i.e., the antiferromagnetic contribution from a direct 180$^\circ$ $M$-$M$ bond and the ferromagnetic contribution from 90$^\circ$ $M$-$X$-$M$ bonds, amplitudes of which have different bond-length dependence. Numerical analysis of the spin-lattice model…
An exact solution (incomplete) of the ground-state problem for an Ising model in an external field on a 3D honeycomb zigzag-ladder lattice with two types of sites is found. It is shown that the geometrical frustration due to the presence of triangle elements leads to the emergence of a variety of magnetic phases. The majority of these are partially disordered (highly degenerate). The theoretical results are used to explain the sequence of experimentally observed phase transitions in the honeycomb zigzag-ladder magnets and to predict the appearance of new phases.
We have combined single crystal neutron and x-ray diffractions to investigate the magnetic and crystal structures of the honeycomb lattice $\rm Na_2IrO_3$. The system orders magnetically below $18.1(2)$ K with Ir$^{4+}$ ions forming zigzag spin chains within the layered honeycomb network with ordered moment of $\rm 0.22(1) μ_B$/Ir site. Such a configuration sharply contrasts the N{é}el or stripe states proposed in the Kitaev-Heisenberg model. The structure refinement reveals that the Ir atoms form nearly ideal 2D honeycomb lattice while the $\rm IrO_6$ octahedra experience a trigonal distortio…
Quantum spin liquids are materials that feature quantum entangled spin correlations and avoid magnetic long-range order at T = 0 K. Particularly interesting are two-dimensional honeycomb spin lattices where a plethora of exotic quantum spin liquids have been predicted. Here, we experimentally study an effective S=1/2 Heisenberg honeycomb lattice with competing nearest and next-nearest neighbor interactions. We demonstrate that YbBr$_3$ avoids order down to at least T=100 mK and features a dynamic spin-spin correlation function with broad continuum scattering typical of quantum spin liquids nea…
In this work, a long-range resonating valence bond state is proposed as a variational wave function for the ground state of the $S=1/2$ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice. Employing Variational Monte Carlo (VMC) method, we show that the ground state energy obtained from such RVB wave function, lies well below the energy of the Néel state and compares very well to the energies evaluated from spin-wave theory and series expansion method. We also obtain the spin-spin correlation function along zig-zag and armchair directions and find that the two correlations are differen…
The peculiar features of quantum magnetism sometimes forbid the existence of gapped `featureless' paramagnets which are fully symmetric and unfractionalized. The Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem is an example of such a constraint, but it is not known what the most general restriction might be. We focus on the existence of featureless paramagnets on the spin-1 square lattice and the spin-1 and spin-1/2 honeycomb lattice with spin rotation and space group symmetries in 2+1D. Although featureless paramagnet phases are not ruled out by any existing theorem, field theoretic arguments disfavor their exis…
The topological properties of massive and massless fermionic quasiparticles have been intensively investigated over the past decade in topological materials without magnetism. Recently, the bosonic analogs of such quasiparticles arising from spin waves have been reported in the two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattice ferromagnet/antiferromagnet and the 3D antiferromagnet. Here we use time-of-flight inelastic neutron scattering to study spin waves of the S = 1 honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet BaNi2(AsO4)2, which has a zig-zag antiferromagnetic (AF) ground state identical to that of the Kitaev q…
We study hard-core bosons on the honeycomb lattice in the presence of anisotropic nearest-neighbor repulsive interactions. Using a quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) technique, we extract the phase diagram of the model in terms of the filling and the anisotropy. At half-filling we find a dimer insulator phase near maximum anisotropy that is characterized by a finite topological entanglement entropy $\ln(2)/2$, indicative of a fractional quantum Hall state for bosons. We identify the presence of edge states and derive a QMC-based method to extract and verify their chirality. Remarkably, this phase arise…
Frustrated bilayer quantum magnets have attracted attention as flat-band spin systems with unconventional thermodynamic properties. We study the low-temperature properties of a frustrated honeycomb-lattice bilayer spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ isotropic ($XXX$) Heisenberg antiferromagnet in a magnetic field by means of an effective low-energy theory using exact diagonalizations and quantum Monte Carlo simulations. Our main focus is on the magnetization curve and the temperature dependence of the specific heat indicating a finite-temperature phase transition in high magnetic fields.
The honeycomb-lattice ruthenate Li$_2$RuO$_3$ is made heavily Li-deficient by chemical oxidation by iodine. The delithiation triggers a different phase Li$_{2-x}$RuO$_3$, the "D-phase", with superlattice. For the first time we disclose the magnetic and structural properties of the D-phase in the dimer-solid state. The low temperature magnetic susceptibility and the bond lengths indicate a bonding configuration consisting of both Ru$^{4+}$-Ru$^{4+}$ and Ru$^{5+}$-Ru$^{5+}$ dimers.
We apply the SU(2) slave fermion formalism to the Kitaev honeycomb lattice model. We show that both the Toric Code phase (the A phase) and the gapless phase of this model (the B phase) can be identified with p-wave superconducting phases of the slave fermions, with nodal lines which, respectively, do not or do intersect the Fermi surface. The non-Abelian Ising anyon phase is a $p+ip$ superconducting phase which occurs when the B phase is subjected to a gap-opening magnetic field. We also discuss the transitions between these phases in this language.
We investigate the optical properties in a minimal model of spin-orbit coupled systems on honeycomb lattice at half-filling. The absorption of the circularly polarized light in the charge and antiferromagnetic ordered states is particularly studied, and the spin-valley selective excitation depending on the handedness of the light is found. It is shown that the optical selection rules plainly differ with the type of broken symmetries and topological properties of the electronic states. Consequently, the abrupt change of spin-valley selectivity in the optical absorption occurs at the topological…
We report superconductivity in the honeycomb-lattice pnictide SrPtAs with Tc = 2.4 K. To our knowledge, SrPtAs is the first superconducting pnictide with a honeycomb lattice structure. Our finding opens up new playground to develop pnictide superconductors with honeycomb lattices, in addition to square lattices known in iron-based superconductors.
We develop a method of variational optimization of the infinite projected entangled pair states on the honeycomb lattice. The method is based on the automatic differentiation of the honeycomb-lattice corner transfer matrix renormalization group. We apply the approach to the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin-1/2 and ferromagnetic Kitaev models on the honeycomb lattice. The developed formalism gives quantitatively accurate results for the main physical observables and has a necessary potential for further extensions.
By quantum Monte Carlo simulations of bosons in gapped honeycomb lattices, we show the existence of bosonic edge states. For single layer honeycomb lattice, bosonic edge states can be controlled to appear, cross the gap and merge into bulk states by an on-site potential applied on the outmost sites of the boundary. On bilayer honeycomb lattice, bosonic edge state traversing the gap at half filling is demonstrated. The topological origin of the bosonic edge states is discussed with pseudo Berry curvature. The results will simulate experimental studies of these exotic bosonic edge states with ul…
The honeycomb lattice possesses a novel energy band structure, which is characterized by two distinct Dirac points in the Brillouin zone, dominating most of the physical properties of the honeycomb structure materials. However, up till now, the origin of the Dirac points is unclear yet. Here, we discover a hidden symmetry on the honeycomb lattice and prove that the existence of Dirac points is exactly protected by such hidden symmetry. Furthermore, the moving and merging of the Dirac points and a quantum phase transition, which have been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed on t…
Using the reflection positivity method we provide the rigorous proof of the existence of long range magnetic order for the XY model on the honeycomb lattice for large spins $S\ge 2$. This stays in contrast with the result obtained using the {\it same} method but on the square lattice -- which gives a stable long-range order for spins $S\ge 1$. We suggest that the difference between these two cases stems from the enhanced quantum spin fluctuations on the honeycomb lattice. Using linear spin-wave theory we show that the enhanced fluctuations are due to the overall much higher kinetic energy of t…
Motivated by the recent realization of the three-dimensional hyperhoneycomb and stripyhoneycomb lattices in lithium iridate (Li$_2$IrO$_3$), we study the possible spin-singlet superconducting states on the whole series of harmonic honeycomb lattices. Beginning with an isolated out-of-plane twist making the honeycomb lattice three-dimensional, we find that the chiral d$\pm$id state, well-known from the honeycomb lattice, is realized in the largest members of the series at low to intermediate doping. Along the twist, four chiral edge states form a two-dimensional dispersive band. Reducing the di…
Motivated by the surge in research activities on graphene, we investigate instabilities of electrons on the honeycomb lattice, interacting by onsite and nearest-neighbor terms, using a renormalization group scheme. Near half band-filling, critical minimal interaction strengths are required for instabilities toward antiferromagnetic or charge-density wave order. Away from half filling, f-wave triplet pairing and d+id singlet pairing instabilities are found to emerge out of density-wave regimes.
Effects of electron many-body interactions amplify in an electronic system with a narrow bandwidth opening a way to exotic physics. A narrow band in a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattice is particularly intriguing as combined with Dirac bands and topological properties but the material realization of a strongly interacting honeycomb lattice described by the Kane-Mele-Hubbard model has not been identified. Here we report a novel approach to realize a 2D honeycomb-lattice narrow-band system with strongly interacting 5$d$ electrons. We engineer a well-known triangular lattice 2D Mott insulator…
Using the low-energy effective field theory for hole-doped antiferromagnets on the honeycomb lattice, we study the localization of holes on Skyrmions, as a potential mechanism for the preformation of Cooper pairs. In contrast to the square lattice case, for the standard radial profile of the Skyrmion on the honeycomb lattice, only holes residing in one of the two hole pockets can get localized. This differs qualitatively from hole pairs bound by magnon exchange, which is most attractive between holes residing in different momentum space pockets. On the honeycomb lattice, magnon exchange unambi…
A systematic low-energy effective field theory for hole-doped antiferromagnets on the honeycomb lattice is constructed. The formalism is then used to investigate spiral phases in the staggered magnetization as well as the formation of two-hole bound states.
The honeycomb lattice Kitaev model H_{K} with two kinds of Wen-Toric-code four-body interactions H_{WT} is investigated exactly using a new fermionization method, and the ground state phase diagram is obtained. Six kinds of three-body interactions are also considered. A Hamiltonian equivalent to the honeycomb lattice Kitaev model is also introduced. The fermionization method is generalized to two-dimensional systems, and the two-dimensional Jordan-Wigner transformation is obtained as a special case of this formula. The model H_{K}+H_{WT} is symmetric in four-dimensional space of coupling const…
