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arXiv:0806.4192 · Physical Review B

Theory of the spin-nematic to spin-Peierls quantum phase transition in ultracold spin-1 atoms in optical lattices

Christoph M. Puetter, Michael J. Lawler, Hae‐Young Kee

Published Oct 24, 2008• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a theory of the anisotropy-tuned quantum phase transition between spin-nematic and spin-Peierls phases in $S=1$ systems with significant biquadratic exchange interactions. Based on quantum Monte Carlo studies on finite-size systems, it has been proposed that this phase transition is second order with new deconfined fractional excitations that are absent in either of the two phases. The possibility of a weak first-order transition, however, cannot be ruled out. To elucidate the nature of the transition, we construct a large-$N$ $\text{SO}(3N)$ model for this phase transition and find in the $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ limit that the transition is generically of first-order. Furthermore, we find a critical point in the one-dimensional (1D) limit, where two transition lines, separating spin-nematic, ferromagnetic, and spin-Peierls phases, meet. Our study indicates that the spin-nematic phase is absent in 1D, while its correlation length diverges at the critical point. Predictions for $^{23}\text{N}\text{a}$ atoms trapped in an optical lattice, where the nematic to spin-Peierls quantum phase transition naturally arises are discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.78.165121

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We present a theory of the anisotropy-tuned quantum phase transition between spin-nematic and spin-Peierls phases in S=1S=1S=1 systems with significant biquadratic exchange interactions. Based on quantum Monte Carlo studies on finite-size systems, it has been proposed that this phase transition is second order with new deconfined fractional excitations that are absent in either of the two phases. The possibility of a weak first-order transition, however, cannot be ruled out. To elucidate the nature of the transition, we construct a large-NNN SO(3N)\text{SO}(3N)SO(3N) model for this phase transition and find in the N\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}N\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞ limit that the transition is generically of first-order. Furthermore, we find a critical point in the one-dimensional (1D) limit, where two transition lines, separating spin-nematic, ferromagnetic, and spin-Peierls phases, meet. Our study indicates that the spin-nematic phase is absent in 1D, while its correlation length diverges at the critical point. Predictions for 23Na^{23}\text{N}\text{a}23Na atoms trapped in an optical lattice, where the nematic to spin-Peierls quantum phase transition naturally arises are discussed.
We study magnetically stabilized nematic order for spin-one bosons in optical lattices. We show that the Zeeman field-driven quantum phase transitions between non-nematic Mott states and quantum spin nematic Mott states in the weak hopping limit are in the universality class of the ferromagnetic XXZXXZXXZ (S=1∕2)(S=1∕2)(S=1∕2) spin model. We further discuss these transitions as condensation of interacting magnons. The development of O(2) nematic order when external fields are applied corresponds to condensation of magnons, which breaks a U(1) symmetry. Microscopically, this results from a coherent superposition of two non-nematic states at each individual site. Nematic order and spin-wave excitations around critical points are studied and critical behaviors are obtained in a dilute gas approximation. We also find that spin-singlet states are unstable with respect to quadratic Zeeman effects and Ising nematic order appears in the presence of any finite quadratic Zeeman coupling. All discussions are carried out for states in three-dimensional bipartite lattices.
We consider a model Hamiltonian with two SU(4)\mathrm{SU}(4)SU(4) fermions per site on a square lattice, showing a competition between bilinear and biquadratic interactions. This model has generated interest due to possible realizations in ultra-cold-atom experiments and existence of spin-liquid ground states. Using a basis transformation, we show that part of the phase diagram is amenable to quantum Monte Carlo simulations without a sign problem. We find evidence for spin nematic and valence-bond crystalline phases, which are separated by a weak first-order phase transition. A U(1\mathrm{U}(1U(1) symmetry is found to emerge in the valence-bond crystal histograms, suggesting proximity to a deconfined quantum critical point. Our results are obtained with the help of a loop algorithm which allows large-scale simulations of bilinear-biquadratic SO(N\mathrm{SO}(NSO(N) models on arbitrary lattices in a certain parameter regime.
In this thesis, we investigate strongly correlated phenomena in quantum spin systems. In the first part of this work, we study geometrically frustrated antiferromagnets (AFMs). Generalizing the SU(2) Heisenberg Hamiltonian to Sp(N) symmetry, we obtain, in the large-N limit, the mean-field phase diagrams for the planar pyrochlore and cubic AFMs. We then use gauge theories to consider fluctuation effects about their respective mean-field configurations. We find, in addition to conventional Neel states, a plethora of novel magnetically disordered phases: two kinds of spin liquids, Z2 in 2+1D and U(1)in 3+1D, and several valence bond solids such as two and three-dimensional plaquette and columnar singlet states. We use the same approach to study the diamond lattice AFM which possesses extended classical ground state degeneracy. We demonstrate that quantum and entropic fluctuations lift this degeneracy in different ways. In the second part of the thesis, we study ultracold spinor atoms confined in optical lattices. We first demonstrate the feasibility of experimental realization of rotor models using ultracold spin-one Bose atoms in a spin-dependent and disordered optical lattice. We show that the ground state of such disordered rotor models with quadrupolar interactions can exhibit biaxial nematic ordering in the disorder-averaged sense, and suggest an imaging experiment to detect the biaxial nematicity in such systems. Finally, using variational wavefunction methods, we study the Mott phases and superfluid-insulator transition of spin-three bosons in an optical lattice with an anisotropic two dimensional optical trap. We chart out the phase diagrams for Mott states with n = 1 and n = 2 atoms per lattice site. We show that the long-range dipolar interaction stabilizes a state characterized by antiferromagnetic chains made of ferromagnetically aligned spins. We also obtain the mean-field phase boundary for the superfluid-insulator transition, and show that inside the superfluid phase and near the superfluid-insulator phase boundary, the system undergoes a first order antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic spin ordering transition.
We study, using quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations, the ground state properties of spin-1 bosons trapped in a square optical lattice. The phase diagram is characterized by the mobility of the particles (Mott insulating or superfluid phase) and by their magnetic properties. For ferromagnetic on-site interactions, the whole phase diagram is ferromagnetic and the Mott insulators-superfluid phase transitions are second order. For antiferromagnetic on-site interactions, spin nematic order is found in the odd Mott lobes and in the superfluid phase. Furthermore, the superfluid-insulator phase transition is first or second order depending on whether the density in the Mott is even or odd. Inside the even Mott lobes we observe a singlet-to-nematic transition for certain values of the interactions. This transition appears to be first order.
The quantum S=1S=1S=1 spin model on the spatially anisotropic triangular lattice is investigated numerically. The nematic and valence-bond-solid (VBS) phases are realized by adjusting the spatial anisotropy and the biquadratic interaction. The phase transition between the nematic and VBS phases is expected to be a continuous one with unconventional critical indices (deconfined criticality). The geometrical character (spatial anisotropy) is taken into account by imposing the screw-boundary condition (Novotny's method). Diagonalizing the finite-size cluster with $N\ensuremath{\leqslant}20$ spins, we observe a clear indication of continuous phase transition. The correlation-length critical exponent is estimated as $\ensuremath{\nu}=0.92(10)$.
We theoretically study an ultracold gas of spin-1 polar bosons in a one-dimensional continuum, which are subject to linear and quadratic Zeeman fields and a Raman induced spin orbit coupling. Concentrating on the regime in which the background fields can be treated perturbatively, we analytically solve the model in its low-energy sector; i.e., we characterize the relevant phases and the quantum phase transitions between them. Depending on the sign of the effective quadratic Zeeman field ε, two superfluid phases with distinct nematic order appear. In addition, we uncover a spin-disordered superfluid phase at strong coupling. We employ a combination of renormalization group calculations and duality transformations to access the nature of the phase transitions. At ε=0, a line of spin-charge separated pairs of Luttinger liquids divides the two nematic phases, and the transition to the spin-disordered state at strong coupling is of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type. In contrast, at ε≠0, the quantum critical theory separating nematic and strong coupling spin-disordered phases contains a Luttinger liquid in the charge sector that is coupled to a Majorana fermion in the spin sector (i.e., the critical theory at finite ε maps to a quantum critical Ising model that is coupled to the charge Luttinger liquid). Because of an emergent Lorentz symmetry, both have the same logarithmically diverging velocity. We discuss the experimental signatures of our findings that are relevant to ongoing experiments in ultracold atomic gases of ^{23}Na.