We investigate the quantum-critical behavior between the rung-singlet phase with hidden string order and the Néel phase with broken SU(2)-symmetry in quantum spin ladders with algebraically decaying unfrustrated long-range Heisenberg interactions. To this end, we determine high-order series expansions of energies and observables in the thermodynamic limit about the isolated rung-dimer limit. This is achieved by extending the method of perturbative continuous unitary transformations (pCUT) to long-range Heisenberg interactions and to the calculation of generic observables. The quantum-critical breakdown of the rung-singlet phase then allows us to determine the critical phase transition line and the entire set of critical exponents as a function of the decay exponent of the long-range interaction. We demonstrate long-range mean-field behavior as well as a non-trivial regime of continuously varying critical exponents implying the absence of deconfined criticality contrary to a recent suggestion in the literature.
We investigate the quantum-critical behavior between the rung-singlet phase with hidden string order and the Néel phase with broken SU(2)-symmetry in quantum spin ladders with algebraically decaying unfrustrated long-range Heisenberg interactions. To this end, we determine high-order series expansions of energies and observables in the thermodynamic limit about the isolated rung-dimer limit. This is achieved by extending the method of perturbative continuous unitary transformations (pCUT) to long-range Heisenberg interactions and to the calculation of generic observables. The quantum-critical breakdown of the rung-singlet phase then allows us to determine the critical phase transition line and the entire set of critical exponents as a function of the decay exponent of the long-range interaction. We demonstrate long-range mean-field behavior as well as a non-trivial regime of continuously varying critical exponents implying the absence of deconfined criticality contrary to a recent suggestion in the literature.
We study a generalized quantum spin ladder with staggered long range interactions that decay as a power-law with exponent α. Using the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method and exact diagonalization, we show that this model undergoes a transition from a rung-dimer phase characterized by a non-local string order parameter, to a symmetry broken Neel phase at αc∼2.1. We find evidence that the transition is second order with a dynamic critical exponent z=1 and ν≈1.2. In the magnetically ordered phase, the spectrum exhibits gapless modes, while excitations in the gapped phase are well described in terms of triplons -- bound states of spinons across the legs. We obtained the momentum resolved spin dynamic structure factor numerically and found that the triplon band is well defined at high energies and adiabatically connected to the magnon dispersion. However, at low energies it emerges as the lower edge of continuum of excitations that shifts to high energies across the transition. We further discuss the possibility of deconfined criticality in this model.
We study the XXZ square lattice bilayer model with antiferromagnetic non-frustrating long-range interactions that decay as a power law with the distance. Employing large-scale high-order series expansions with classical Monte Carlo integration (pCUT+MC) about the limit of isolated Heisenberg dimers in the rung-singlet phase, we investigate the one-triplon dispersion and the corresponding spectral weight along the parameter axes of the long-range decay exponent and the XXZ anisotropy. By tuning the latter, we observe two extended regions of 3d XY and Ising universality as well as 3d Heisenberg critical exponents at the isotropic point. Along the decay exponent axis, we demonstrate mean-field behavior for strong long-range couplings, the aforementioned three universality classes for sufficiently weak interactions, and continuously varying critical exponents in-between. Using extrapolations we are able to determine the one-triplon dispersion in a quantitative fashion up to the quantum-critical breakdown of the rung-singlet phase. This allows to extract the dynamical critical exponent z as a function of the decay exponent, displaying a universal behavior. The detected z<1 for small decay exponents is in agreement with the expected properties of the anomalous Goldstone modes in the ordered phases with broken continuous symmetry.
We study the critical breakdown of two-dimensional quantum magnets in the presence of algebraically decaying long-range interactions by investigating the transverse-field Ising model on the square and triangular lattice. This is achieved technically by combining perturbative continuous unitary transformations with classical Monte Carlo simulations to extract high-order series for the one-particle excitations in the high-field quantum paramagnet. We find that the unfrustrated systems change from mean-field to nearest-neighbor universality with continuously varying critical exponents. In the frustrated case on the square lattice the system remains in the universality class of the nearest-neighbor model independent of the long-range nature of the interaction, while we argue that the quantum criticality for the triangular lattice is terminated by a first-order phase transition line.
Long-range interactions can fundamentally reshape the low-energy properties of low-dimensional quantum matter, altering both continuous symmetry breaking and topological phenomena. However, their impact on the quantum criticality separating these regimes remains poorly understood. We determine the ground-state phase diagram and critical properties of the spin-one Heisenberg chain with single-ion anisotropy and staggered antiferromagnetic power-law interactions, using matrix-product state (MPS) calculations complemented by high-order series expansions (pCUT+MC). Such long-range, non-frustrated interactions circumvent the Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner theorem, thereby stabilizing continuous symmetry breaking (CSB) phases in direct competition with the Haldane phase. We map out the resulting phase diagram and analyze the entanglement entropy scaling behavior in the U(1) and SU(2) CSB phases, finding logarithmic corrections beyond the short-range, universal contributions expected from linearly dispersed Goldstone modes. We further characterize all critical boundaries through finite-size scaling of either the entanglement entropy or the staggered magnetization. In particular, the large-D-to-U(1)-CSB transition exhibits unconventional, continuously varying critical exponents as a function of the long-range decay exponent with a strong dependence on the imposed boundary conditions leading to distinct finite-size scalings for sufficiently long-range potentials. Remarkably, the Haldane-to-U(1)-CSB transition likewise displays unconventional quantum criticality with distinct continuously varying critical exponents. Our work positions this model as a target for near-term atomic platforms with tunable long-range couplings and exhibiting natural single-ion anisotropy, offering a minimal playground for exploring the interplay between long-range interactions, continuous symmetry breaking, and topology.
We study the XXZ square lattice bilayer model with antiferromagnetic nonfrustrating long-range interactions that decay as a power law with the distance. Employing large-scale high-order series expansions with classical Monte Carlo integration (pCUT+MC) about the limit of isolated Heisenberg dimers in the rung-singlet phase, we investigate the one-triplon dispersion and the corresponding spectral weight along the parameter axes of the long-range decay exponent and the XXZ anisotropy. By tuning the latter, we observe two extended regions of 3D XY and Ising universality as well as 3D Heisenberg critical exponents at the isotropic point. Along the decay exponent axis, we demonstrate mean-field behavior for strong long-range couplings, the aforementioned three universality classes for sufficiently weak interactions, and continuously varying critical exponents in between. Using extrapolations, we are able to determine the one-triplon dispersion in a quantitative fashion up to the quantum-critical breakdown of the rung-singlet phase. This allows us to extract the dynamical critical exponent z as a function of the decay exponent, displaying a universal behavior. The detected z<1 for small decay exponents is in agreement with the expected properties of the anomalous Goldstone modes in the ordered phases with broken continuous symmetry.
We study the ground-state phase diagram of a spin-1 Heisenberg chain with staggered long-range (LR) interactions decaying as ∝r−α using a quantum Monte Carlo approach based on the split-spin representation. This formulation enables efficient large-scale simulations by mapping the spin-1 model onto spin-1/2 degrees of freedom with local projection constraints. We resolve the continuous quantum phase transition between the gapped Haldane phase at large α (short-range regime) and a gapless antiferromagnetically ordered Néel phase at small α (LR regime), where the continuous SU(2) symmetry is broken. From finite-size scaling and crossing point analyses, we determine the critical point to be at αc=2.49(1) and extract the associated critical exponents, which indicate unconventional criticality. In particular, the transition is found to be nonconformal, characterized by a dynamical exponent z=1. We further analyze the scaling of entanglement entropy and bipartite fluctuations across the transition, and determine the corresponding universal scalings in both phases and at criticality.