arXiv:2511.08179 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Nonlinear spin wave theory in the strong easy-axis limit of the triangular XXZ model

Achille Mauri, Siebe Roose, Frédéric Mila

Published May 1, 2026• 2 citations

Abstract

Motivated by recent experimental studies, we investigate the spectrum of the nearest-neighbour triangular XXZ model within the $1/S$ expansion, in the limit in which the exchange couplings present a strong easy-axis anisotropy $J_{xy}/J_{zz} \ll 1$. We show that in the limit in which $1/S \to 0$ and $J_{xy} \to 0$ at fixed $V = J_{zz}/(S J_{xy})$, the triangular spin model can be reduced to an effective boson model with quartic interactions on the honeycomb lattice. This effective model interpolates between a spin-wave ($V \to 0$) and a strong-coupling limit ($V \to \infty$) and encodes in a simple framework the regimes discussed by Kleine~\emph{et al.}~[Z. Phys. B Condens. Matter~{\bf 86}, 405 (1992);~{\bf 87}, 103 (1992)]. For zero field, the classical ground state of the model presents an accidental degeneracy, which can be traced to a simple symmetry of the classical energy. The model thus offers a transparent realization of a theory with quantum order-by-disorder and a pseudo-Goldstone mode. We analyze the spectrum at zero magnetic field by calculating the self-energy at one-loop order. In the calculation, we introduce a self-consistent renormalization of the energy scale and of the pseudo-Goldstone energy gap; the latter renormalization is essential to remove infrared divergences in the on-shell corrections to the energy dispersion. Finally, we discuss qualitatively the structure of the one-loop corrections in comparison with the spectrum observed experimentally in K$_{2}$Co(SeO$_{3}$)$_{2}$.

DOI: 10.1103/57w8-31vp

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Magnetic excitations of the strongly-anisotropic triangular XXZ model: a projected spin-product state approach

Achille Mauri, Frédéric Mila

arXiv:2609.36140Sep 28, 20260 citations

Slow convergence of spin-wave expansion and magnon dispersion in the 1/3 plateau of the triangular XXZ antiferromagnet

Achille Mauri, Frédéric Mila

arXiv:2501.03887Physical review. B./Physical review. BMay 2, 20254 citations

Unconventional spin dynamics and supersolid excitations in the triangular-lattice XXZ model

R. Flores-Calderón, Roderich Moessner, Frank Pollmann

arXiv:2506.15516Physical review. B./Physical review. BNov 20, 20253 citations

Nontrivial three-sublattice magnetization in the easy-axis spin- 1 2 XXZ antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice

Masahiro Kadosawa, Masaaki Nakamura, Y. Ohta +1 more

arXiv:2604.14767Physical review. B./Physical review. BJun 12, 20261 citation

Spin wave excitations and their interactions in two-dimensional antiferromagnets

Dag-Björn Hering

Jan 1, 20260 citations

Study of the excited states of the quantum antiferromagnets

Mohammad G. Merdan

Nov 10, 20130 citations

arXiv:2511.08179 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Nonlinear spin wave theory in the strong easy-axis limit of the triangular XXZ model

Achille Mauri, Siebe Roose, Frédéric Mila

Published May 1, 2026• 2 citations

arXiv HTML PDF

Abstract

Motivated by recent experimental studies, we investigate the spectrum of the nearest-neighbour triangular XXZ model within the

1/S

expansion, in the limit in which the exchange couplings present a strong easy-axis anisotropy

J_{xy}/J_{zz} \ll 1

. We show that in the limit in which

1/S \to 0

and

J_{xy} \to 0

at fixed

V = J_{zz}/(S J_{xy})

, the triangular spin model can be reduced to an effective boson model with quartic interactions on the honeycomb lattice. This effective model interpolates between a spin-wave (

V \to 0

) and a strong-coupling limit (

V \to \infty

) and encodes in a simple framework the regimes discussed by Kleine~\emph{et al.}~~[Z. Phys. B Condens. Matter~~{\bf 86}, 405 (1992);~{\bf 87}, 103 (1992)]. For zero field, the classical ground state of the model presents an accidental degeneracy, which can be traced to a simple symmetry of the classical energy. The model thus offers a transparent realization of a theory with quantum order-by-disorder and a pseudo-Goldstone mode. We analyze the spectrum at zero magnetic field by calculating the self-energy at one-loop order. In the calculation, we introduce a self-consistent renormalization of the energy scale and of the pseudo-Goldstone energy gap; the latter renormalization is essential to remove infrared divergences in the on-shell corrections to the energy dispersion. Finally, we discuss qualitatively the structure of the one-loop corrections in comparison with the spectrum observed experimentally in K

_{2}

Co(SeO

_{3}

)

_{2}

DOI: 10.1103/57w8-31vp

Related papers

Magnetic excitations of the strongly-anisotropic triangular XXZ model: a projected spin-product state approach

Achille Mauri, Frédéric Mila

Recent experiments have sparked interest on the ground-state properties and on the excitation spectrum of the spin- $1/2$ triangular XXZ model with strong Ising-like anisotropy. In this work, we introduce and analyze a ``projected'' coherent-state approximation to the model, constructed by projecting spin-product states onto the low-energy configurations of the triangular Ising antiferromagnet. Within this approximation, we discuss the structure of the ground-state ordering and the magnetization curve under a longitudinal field. We then discuss the excitation spectrum by linearizing equations of motion deriving from a time-dependent variational principle. This leads to a natural description of spin-wave-like excitations within the strongly constrained Hilbert space. At zero field, the variational approximation leads to a very flat landscape of quasi-degenerate states, which results in a low-energy pseudo-Goldstone mode in the excitation spectrum. We compare our results to experimental measurements on the cobaltite K $_{2}$ Co(SeO $_{3}$ ) $_{2}$ (KCSO). Our approximation leads to a dramatic improvement as compared to linear spin-wave theory. However, there remain deviations in the value of the pseudo-Goldstone gap and in the dispersion near $M$ points at low field.Recent experiments have sparked interest on the ground-state properties and on the excitation spectrum of the spin-$1/2$ triangular XXZ model with strong Ising-like anisotropy. In this work, we introduce and analyze a ``projected'' coherent-state approximation to the model, constructed by projecting spin-product states onto the low-energy configurations of the triangular Ising antiferromagnet. Within this approximation, we discuss the structure of the ground-state ordering and the magnetization curve under a longitudinal field. We then discuss the excitation spectrum by linearizing equations of motion deriving from a time-dependent variational principle. This leads to a natural description of spin-wave-like excitations within the strongly constrained Hilbert space. At zero field, the variational approximation leads to a very flat landscape of quasi-degenerate states, which results in a low-energy pseudo-Goldstone mode in the excitation spectrum. We compare our results to experimental measurements on the cobaltite K$_{2}$Co(SeO$_{3}$)$_{2}$ (KCSO). Our approximation leads to a dramatic improvement as compared to linear spin-wave theory. However, there remain deviations in the value of the pseudo-Goldstone gap and in the dispersion near $M$ points at low field.

arXiv:2609.36140Sep 28, 20260 citations

Slow convergence of spin-wave expansion and magnon dispersion in the 1/3 plateau of the triangular XXZ antiferromagnet

Achille Mauri, Frédéric Mila

Motivated by recent experiments on the quantum magnet ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Co}{({\mathrm{SeO}}_{3})}_{2}$ , we study theoretically the excitation spectrum of the nearest-neighbor triangular XXZ model in the limit of strong easy-axis anisotropy, within the up-up-down (1/3-plateau) phase. We make an expansion in $\ensuremath{\alpha}={J}_{xy}/{J}_{zz}$ instead of $1/S$ and calculate the magnon dispersion for any value of the spin $S$ at second order in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, with two important conclusions: (i) the $1/S$ expansion converges very slowly for $S=1/2$ , making spin-wave theory quantitatively inaccurate up to very large orders, and (ii) compared to the linear spin-wave predictions, our magnon dispersion presents a much better agreement with experimental results on ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Co}{({\mathrm{SeO}}_{3})}_{2}$ , for which $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.08$.Motivated by recent experiments on the quantum magnet ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Co}{({\mathrm{SeO}}_{3})}_{2}$, we study theoretically the excitation spectrum of the nearest-neighbor triangular XXZ model in the limit of strong easy-axis anisotropy, within the up-up-down (1/3-plateau) phase. We make an expansion in $\ensuremath{\alpha}={J}_{xy}/{J}_{zz}$ instead of $1/S$ and calculate the magnon dispersion for any value of the spin $S$ at second order in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, with two important conclusions: (i) the $1/S$ expansion converges very slowly for $S=1/2$, making spin-wave theory quantitatively inaccurate up to very large orders, and (ii) compared to the linear spin-wave predictions, our magnon dispersion presents a much better agreement with experimental results on ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Co}{({\mathrm{SeO}}_{3})}_{2}$, for which $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.08$.

arXiv:2501.03887Physical review. B./Physical review. BMay 2, 20254 citations

Unconventional spin dynamics and supersolid excitations in the triangular-lattice XXZ model

R. Flores-Calderón, Roderich Moessner, Frank Pollmann

Motivated by recent experiments, we investigate the spin- 1 2 XXZ model on the triangular lattice with strong Ising anisotropy, combining large-scale numerical simulations and analytical methods to uncover unconventional spin dynamics at T = 0 . First, we compute the dynamical spin structure factor using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations and find excellent agreement with inelastic neutron scattering data on the layered compound K 2 Co ( SeO 3 ) 2 . The low-energy spectrum reveals a rotonlike minimum at the M point, absent in linear spin-wave theory, accompanied by peak intensity and a broad continuum above it. Near the Γ point, we observe an approximately linear dispersion with vanishing spectral weight. Second, we compare two analytical frameworks that reproduce the observed features. The first is a hard-core boson approach, which includes (i) an effective staggered boson model at zero magnetic field, (ii) perturbation theory applied to the one-third magnetization plateau, and (iii) a self-consistent mean-field Schwinger boson theory (SBT). The second framework is based on a variational supersolid quantum dimer model (QDM) ansatz, combined with a single-mode approximation. The SBT captures the broad continuum, the M -point minimum, and linear dispersion at Γ , whereas the QDM reproduces the roton minimum and linear dispersion at finite momentum near Γ . Remarkably, both the QDM wave function and the DMRG ground state exhibit nearly identical structure factors with pronounced transverse photonlike excitations. Together, our comprehensive theoretical and numerical analysis elucidates the microscopic origin of supersolid excitations in the XXZ triangular-lattice model and their proximity to a spin-liquid phase observed experimentally.Motivated by recent experiments, we investigate the spin- 1 2 XXZ model on the triangular lattice with strong Ising anisotropy, combining large-scale numerical simulations and analytical methods to uncover unconventional spin dynamics at T = 0 . First, we compute the dynamical spin structure factor using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations and find excellent agreement with inelastic neutron scattering data on the layered compound K 2 Co ( SeO 3 ) 2 . The low-energy spectrum reveals a rotonlike minimum at the M point, absent in linear spin-wave theory, accompanied by peak intensity and a broad continuum above it. Near the Γ point, we observe an approximately linear dispersion with vanishing spectral weight. Second, we compare two analytical frameworks that reproduce the observed features. The first is a hard-core boson approach, which includes (i) an effective staggered boson model at zero magnetic field, (ii) perturbation theory applied to the one-third magnetization plateau, and (iii) a self-consistent mean-field Schwinger boson theory (SBT). The second framework is based on a variational supersolid quantum dimer model (QDM) ansatz, combined with a single-mode approximation. The SBT captures the broad continuum, the M -point minimum, and linear dispersion at Γ , whereas the QDM reproduces the roton minimum and linear dispersion at finite momentum near Γ . Remarkably, both the QDM wave function and the DMRG ground state exhibit nearly identical structure factors with pronounced transverse photonlike excitations. Together, our comprehensive theoretical and numerical analysis elucidates the microscopic origin of supersolid excitations in the XXZ triangular-lattice model and their proximity to a spin-liquid phase observed experimentally.

arXiv:2506.15516Physical review. B./Physical review. BNov 20, 20253 citations

Nontrivial three-sublattice magnetization in the easy-axis spin- 1 2 XXZ antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice

Masahiro Kadosawa, Masaaki Nakamura, Y. Ohta +1 more

We investigate the ground-state magnetic structure of the spin- 1 / 2 XXZ antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice in the easy-axis regime using the density-matrix renormalization group. By applying spiral boundary conditions, we exactly map finite L × L clusters onto one-dimensional chains while avoiding the spatial anisotropy inherent in cylindrical geometries. From symmetry-broken local magnetization profiles, we extract the three-sublattice moments and track their evolution with anisotropy. At the isotropic point, we obtain a positive sublattice moment of 0.217(3), consistent with previous numerical estimates. In the easy-axis regime ( Δ = J z / J ⊥ > 1 ), the ordered moments remain close to a Y-like zero-magnetization three-sublattice state, whose z -component pattern is of the form ( 2 m , − m , − m ) , over a broad range of Δ . Extrapolation in 1 / Δ shows that the positive sublattice moment stays well below the classical saturation value 1 / 2 , approaching 0.419(7) as Δ → ∞ , while the magnitude of the negative sublattice moment approaches 0.209(4). We further compare the energies of the Y state and the up-down-down state and find that the Y state is favored at zero field. Independent thermodynamic-limit energy calculations, performed without assuming any particular ordered pattern, yield an energy consistent with the Y-state solution. These results show that the easy-axis ground state does not simply cross over to a trivially saturated collinear Ising state, but instead remains a nontrivial three-sublattice ordered state selected from the macroscopically degenerate Ising manifold by quantum fluctuations.We investigate the ground-state magnetic structure of the spin- 1 / 2 XXZ antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice in the easy-axis regime using the density-matrix renormalization group. By applying spiral boundary conditions, we exactly map finite L × L clusters onto one-dimensional chains while avoiding the spatial anisotropy inherent in cylindrical geometries. From symmetry-broken local magnetization profiles, we extract the three-sublattice moments and track their evolution with anisotropy. At the isotropic point, we obtain a positive sublattice moment of 0.217(3), consistent with previous numerical estimates. In the easy-axis regime ( Δ = J z / J ⊥ > 1 ), the ordered moments remain close to a Y-like zero-magnetization three-sublattice state, whose z -component pattern is of the form ( 2 m , − m , − m ) , over a broad range of Δ . Extrapolation in 1 / Δ shows that the positive sublattice moment stays well below the classical saturation value 1 / 2 , approaching 0.419(7) as Δ → ∞ , while the magnitude of the negative sublattice moment approaches 0.209(4). We further compare the energies of the Y state and the up-down-down state and find that the Y state is favored at zero field. Independent thermodynamic-limit energy calculations, performed without assuming any particular ordered pattern, yield an energy consistent with the Y-state solution. These results show that the easy-axis ground state does not simply cross over to a trivially saturated collinear Ising state, but instead remains a nontrivial three-sublattice ordered state selected from the macroscopically degenerate Ising manifold by quantum fluctuations.

arXiv:2604.14767Physical review. B./Physical review. BJun 12, 20261 citation

Spin wave excitations and their interactions in two-dimensional antiferromagnets

Dag-Björn Hering

This thesis investigates two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets, with a focus on the spin- $\frac{1}{2}$ antiferromagnetic easy-axis XXZ model on a square and a honeycomb lattice. Describing the excitations and interactions of magnons in these models is of substantial interest, as magnons are the fundamental quasiparticles and can thus explain experimental observations. Already for the paradigmatic antiferromagnetic spin- $\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg model on the square lattice, high-energy features of the magnon dispersion are understood via strong magnon-magnon interactions. Besides that, interesting high-energy features were recently observed in the honeycomb lattice, including a possible decay of the single-magnon mode. The goal of this thesis is to obtain effective descriptions of the aforementioned systems that capture the relevant features of the magnon excitations and their interactions. To study these features, this thesis employs continuous similarity transformations (CSTs), which enables a systematic derivation of an effective quasiparticle picture via so-called flow equations. The approach enables decoupling different magnon sectors and thus for investigating ground-state properties, single-magnon excitations, and multi-magnon bound states. The magnon description is derived from the non-Hermitian Dyson-Maleev representation, which describes fluctuations around a long-range magnetically ordered ground state. The flow equations are set up in momentum space, truncated by the scaling dimension, retaining only operators up to scaling dimension of two, and solved numerically. For the square lattice, a magnon-conserving effective Hamiltonian is obtained across the full anisotropy range by interpolating between the Ising limit and the Heisenberg limit. The ground-state energy, staggered magnetization, dispersion, and critical exponents are in excellent agreement with the literature, supporting the validity of CST also for gapped phases. Two-magnon excitations in the $S^z=0$ subspace comprise four bound states, which are tracked across the anisotropy range. Their successive decay into the two-magnon continuum is determined by using the inverse participation ratio. For the honeycomb lattice, the magnon-conserving CST is reliable only up to $\lambda ≲ 0.57$ ; an adapted CST scheme that decouples only the ground state while preserving couplings between different higher-magnon sectors yields effective descriptions for all $\lambda$ and confirms stable long-range order. The low-energy properties determined in this way match the literature values. However, in the Heisenberg limit, the adapted approach fails to capture high-energy features, such as the experimentally observed decay into the multi-particle continuum at corners of the Brillouin zone. A termination of the magnon-conserving flow equations at a finite flow parameter before the divergence reveals a single-magnon decay at high energies, which is connected to a crossing of a two-magnon bound state with the single-magnon mode. The observed energy dip qualitatively agrees with Quantum Monte Carlo results, but magnon–magnon interactions are overestimated, hindering a fully quantitative characterization of the single-magnon dispersion. Analyzing multi-magnon bound states over the anisotropy range unveils that the crossing of a three-magnon bound state with the single-magnon mode accounts for the breakdown of the magnon-conserving CST at higher $\lambda$ . This work demonstrates that CST with scaling-dimension truncation provides a powerful framework for studying two-dimensional quantum magnets, capturing low-energy properties and bound states. Nevertheless, challenges remain in accurately describing high-energy features arising from a persistent overlap of magnon sectors due to strong binding effects.This thesis investigates two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets, with a focus on the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ antiferromagnetic easy-axis XXZ model on a square and a honeycomb lattice. Describing the excitations and interactions of magnons in these models is of substantial interest, as magnons are the fundamental quasiparticles and can thus explain experimental observations. Already for the paradigmatic antiferromagnetic spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg model on the square lattice, high-energy features of the magnon dispersion are understood via strong magnon-magnon interactions. Besides that, interesting high-energy features were recently observed in the honeycomb lattice, including a possible decay of the single-magnon mode. The goal of this thesis is to obtain effective descriptions of the aforementioned systems that capture the relevant features of the magnon excitations and their interactions. To study these features, this thesis employs continuous similarity transformations (CSTs), which enables a systematic derivation of an effective quasiparticle picture via so-called flow equations. The approach enables decoupling different magnon sectors and thus for investigating ground-state properties, single-magnon excitations, and multi-magnon bound states. The magnon description is derived from the non-Hermitian Dyson-Maleev representation, which describes fluctuations around a long-range magnetically ordered ground state. The flow equations are set up in momentum space, truncated by the scaling dimension, retaining only operators up to scaling dimension of two, and solved numerically. For the square lattice, a magnon-conserving effective Hamiltonian is obtained across the full anisotropy range by interpolating between the Ising limit and the Heisenberg limit. The ground-state energy, staggered magnetization, dispersion, and critical exponents are in excellent agreement with the literature, supporting the validity of CST also for gapped phases. Two-magnon excitations in the $S^z=0$ subspace comprise four bound states, which are tracked across the anisotropy range. Their successive decay into the two-magnon continuum is determined by using the inverse participation ratio. For the honeycomb lattice, the magnon-conserving CST is reliable only up to $\lambda ≲ 0.57$; an adapted CST scheme that decouples only the ground state while preserving couplings between different higher-magnon sectors yields effective descriptions for all $\lambda$ and confirms stable long-range order. The low-energy properties determined in this way match the literature values. However, in the Heisenberg limit, the adapted approach fails to capture high-energy features, such as the experimentally observed decay into the multi-particle continuum at corners of the Brillouin zone. A termination of the magnon-conserving flow equations at a finite flow parameter before the divergence reveals a single-magnon decay at high energies, which is connected to a crossing of a two-magnon bound state with the single-magnon mode. The observed energy dip qualitatively agrees with Quantum Monte Carlo results, but magnon–magnon interactions are overestimated, hindering a fully quantitative characterization of the single-magnon dispersion. Analyzing multi-magnon bound states over the anisotropy range unveils that the crossing of a three-magnon bound state with the single-magnon mode accounts for the breakdown of the magnon-conserving CST at higher $\lambda$. This work demonstrates that CST with scaling-dimension truncation provides a powerful framework for studying two-dimensional quantum magnets, capturing low-energy properties and bound states. Nevertheless, challenges remain in accurately describing high-energy features arising from a persistent overlap of magnon sectors due to strong binding effects.

Jan 1, 20260 citations

Study of the excited states of the quantum antiferromagnets

Mohammad G. Merdan

We investigate the quantum dynamics of the spins on different Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin lattice systems. Firstly, we applied the coupled-cluster method to the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic \emph{XXZ} model on a square lattice by employing an approximation which contains two-body long-range correlations and high-order four-body local correlations. Improvement is found for the ground-state energy, sublattice magnetization, and the critical anisotropy when comparing with the approximation including the two-body correlations alone. We also obtain the full excitation spectrum which is in good agreement with the quantum Monte Carlo results and the high-order spin-wave theory.Secondly, we study the longitudinal excitations of quantum antiferromagnets on a triangular lattice by a recently proposed microscopic many-body approach based on magnon-density waves. We calculate the full longitudinal excitation spectra of the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model for a general spin quantum number in the isotropic limit. Similar to the square lattice model, we find that, at the center of the first hexagonal Brillouin zone $\Gamma(\mathbf q=0)$ and at the magnetic ordering wavevectors $\pm[\mathbf Q= (4\pi/3,0)]$ , the excitation spectra become gapless in the thermodynamic limit, due to the slow, logarithmic divergence of the structure factor. However, these longitudinal modes on two-dimensional models may be considered as quasi-gapped, as any finite-size effect or small anisotropy will induce a large energy gap, when compared with the counterpart of the transverse spin-wave excitations. We have also investigated the excited states of the quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets on hexagonal lattices, including the longitudinal modes based on the magnon-density waves. A model Hamiltonian with a uniaxial single-ion anisotropy is first studied by a spin-wave theory based on the one-boson method; the ground state thus obtained is employed for the study of the longitudinal modes. The full energy spectra of both the transverse modes (i.e., magnons) and the longitudinal modes are obtained as functions of the nearest-neighbor coupling and the anisotropy constants. We have found two longitudinal modes due to the non-collinear nature of the triangular antiferromagnetic order, similar to that of the phenomenological field theory approach by Affleck. The excitation energy gaps due to the anisotropy and the energy gaps of the longitudinal modes without anisotropy are then investigated. We then compares our results for the longitudinal energy gaps at the magnetic wavevectors with the experimental results for several antiferromagnetic compounds with both integer and non-integer spin quantum numbers, and we find good agreements after the higher-order contributions are included in our calculations.We investigate the quantum dynamics of the spins on different Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin lattice systems. Firstly, we applied the coupled-cluster method to the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic \emph{XXZ} model on a square lattice by employing an approximation which contains two-body long-range correlations and high-order four-body local correlations. Improvement is found for the ground-state energy, sublattice magnetization, and the critical anisotropy when comparing with the approximation including the two-body correlations alone. We also obtain the full excitation spectrum which is in good agreement with the quantum Monte Carlo results and the high-order spin-wave theory.Secondly, we study the longitudinal excitations of quantum antiferromagnets on a triangular lattice by a recently proposed microscopic many-body approach based on magnon-density waves. We calculate the full longitudinal excitation spectra of the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model for a general spin quantum number in the isotropic limit. Similar to the square lattice model, we find that, at the center of the first hexagonal Brillouin zone $\Gamma(\mathbf q=0)$ and at the magnetic ordering wavevectors $\pm[\mathbf Q= (4\pi/3,0)]$, the excitation spectra become gapless in the thermodynamic limit, due to the slow, logarithmic divergence of the structure factor. However, these longitudinal modes on two-dimensional models may be considered as quasi-gapped, as any finite-size effect or small anisotropy will induce a large energy gap, when compared with the counterpart of the transverse spin-wave excitations. We have also investigated the excited states of the quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets on hexagonal lattices, including the longitudinal modes based on the magnon-density waves. A model Hamiltonian with a uniaxial single-ion anisotropy is first studied by a spin-wave theory based on the one-boson method; the ground state thus obtained is employed for the study of the longitudinal modes. The full energy spectra of both the transverse modes (i.e., magnons) and the longitudinal modes are obtained as functions of the nearest-neighbor coupling and the anisotropy constants. We have found two longitudinal modes due to the non-collinear nature of the triangular antiferromagnetic order, similar to that of the phenomenological field theory approach by Affleck. The excitation energy gaps due to the anisotropy and the energy gaps of the longitudinal modes without anisotropy are then investigated. We then compares our results for the longitudinal energy gaps at the magnetic wavevectors with the experimental results for several antiferromagnetic compounds with both integer and non-integer spin quantum numbers, and we find good agreements after the higher-order contributions are included in our calculations.

Nov 10, 20130 citations

Motivated by recent experimental studies, we investigate the spectrum of the nearest-neighbour triangular XXZ model within the

1/S

expansion, in the limit in which the exchange couplings present a strong easy-axis anisotropy

J_{xy}/J_{zz} \ll 1

. We show that in the limit in which

1/S \to 0

and

J_{xy} \to 0

at fixed

V = J_{zz}/(S J_{xy})

, the triangular spin model can be reduced to an effective boson model with quartic interactions on the honeycomb lattice. This effective model interpolates between a spin-wave (

V \to 0

) and a strong-coupling limit (

V \to \infty

_{2}

Co(SeO

_{3}

)

_{2}

Recent experiments have sparked interest on the ground-state properties and on the excitation spectrum of the spin-

1/2

triangular XXZ model with strong Ising-like anisotropy. In this work, we introduce and analyze a ``projected'' coherent-state approximation to the model, constructed by projecting spin-product states onto the low-energy configurations of the triangular Ising antiferromagnet. Within this approximation, we discuss the structure of the ground-state ordering and the magnetization curve under a longitudinal field. We then discuss the excitation spectrum by linearizing equations of motion deriving from a time-dependent variational principle. This leads to a natural description of spin-wave-like excitations within the strongly constrained Hilbert space. At zero field, the variational approximation leads to a very flat landscape of quasi-degenerate states, which results in a low-energy pseudo-Goldstone mode in the excitation spectrum. We compare our results to experimental measurements on the cobaltite K

_{2}

Co(SeO

_{3}

)

_{2}

(KCSO). Our approximation leads to a dramatic improvement as compared to linear spin-wave theory. However, there remain deviations in the value of the pseudo-Goldstone gap and in the dispersion near

M

points at low field.

Motivated by recent experiments on the quantum magnet

{\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Co}{({\mathrm{SeO}}_{3})}_{2}

, we study theoretically the excitation spectrum of the nearest-neighbor triangular XXZ model in the limit of strong easy-axis anisotropy, within the up-up-down (1/3-plateau) phase. We make an expansion in $\ensuremath{\alpha}={J}_{xy}/{J}_{zz}$ instead of

1/S

and calculate the magnon dispersion for any value of the spin

S

at second order in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, with two important conclusions: (i) the

1/S

expansion converges very slowly for

S=1/2

, making spin-wave theory quantitatively inaccurate up to very large orders, and (ii) compared to the linear spin-wave predictions, our magnon dispersion presents a much better agreement with experimental results on

{\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Co}{({\mathrm{SeO}}_{3})}_{2}

, for which $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.08$.

This thesis investigates two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets, with a focus on the spin-

\frac{1}{2}

antiferromagnetic easy-axis XXZ model on a square and a honeycomb lattice. Describing the excitations and interactions of magnons in these models is of substantial interest, as magnons are the fundamental quasiparticles and can thus explain experimental observations. Already for the paradigmatic antiferromagnetic spin-

\frac{1}{2}

Heisenberg model on the square lattice, high-energy features of the magnon dispersion are understood via strong magnon-magnon interactions. Besides that, interesting high-energy features were recently observed in the honeycomb lattice, including a possible decay of the single-magnon mode. The goal of this thesis is to obtain effective descriptions of the aforementioned systems that capture the relevant features of the magnon excitations and their interactions. To study these features, this thesis employs continuous similarity transformations (CSTs), which enables a systematic derivation of an effective quasiparticle picture via so-called flow equations. The approach enables decoupling different magnon sectors and thus for investigating ground-state properties, single-magnon excitations, and multi-magnon bound states. The magnon description is derived from the non-Hermitian Dyson-Maleev representation, which describes fluctuations around a long-range magnetically ordered ground state. The flow equations are set up in momentum space, truncated by the scaling dimension, retaining only operators up to scaling dimension of two, and solved numerically. For the square lattice, a magnon-conserving effective Hamiltonian is obtained across the full anisotropy range by interpolating between the Ising limit and the Heisenberg limit. The ground-state energy, staggered magnetization, dispersion, and critical exponents are in excellent agreement with the literature, supporting the validity of CST also for gapped phases. Two-magnon excitations in the

S^z=0

subspace comprise four bound states, which are tracked across the anisotropy range. Their successive decay into the two-magnon continuum is determined by using the inverse participation ratio. For the honeycomb lattice, the magnon-conserving CST is reliable only up to

\lambda ≲ 0.57

; an adapted CST scheme that decouples only the ground state while preserving couplings between different higher-magnon sectors yields effective descriptions for all

\lambda

and confirms stable long-range order. The low-energy properties determined in this way match the literature values. However, in the Heisenberg limit, the adapted approach fails to capture high-energy features, such as the experimentally observed decay into the multi-particle continuum at corners of the Brillouin zone. A termination of the magnon-conserving flow equations at a finite flow parameter before the divergence reveals a single-magnon decay at high energies, which is connected to a crossing of a two-magnon bound state with the single-magnon mode. The observed energy dip qualitatively agrees with Quantum Monte Carlo results, but magnon–magnon interactions are overestimated, hindering a fully quantitative characterization of the single-magnon dispersion. Analyzing multi-magnon bound states over the anisotropy range unveils that the crossing of a three-magnon bound state with the single-magnon mode accounts for the breakdown of the magnon-conserving CST at higher

\lambda

. This work demonstrates that CST with scaling-dimension truncation provides a powerful framework for studying two-dimensional quantum magnets, capturing low-energy properties and bound states. Nevertheless, challenges remain in accurately describing high-energy features arising from a persistent overlap of magnon sectors due to strong binding effects.

\Gamma(\mathbf q=0)

and at the magnetic ordering wavevectors

\pm[\mathbf Q= (4\pi/3,0)]

, the excitation spectra become gapless in the thermodynamic limit, due to the slow, logarithmic divergence of the structure factor. However, these longitudinal modes on two-dimensional models may be considered as quasi-gapped, as any finite-size effect or small anisotropy will induce a large energy gap, when compared with the counterpart of the transverse spin-wave excitations. We have also investigated the excited states of the quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets on hexagonal lattices, including the longitudinal modes based on the magnon-density waves. A model Hamiltonian with a uniaxial single-ion anisotropy is first studied by a spin-wave theory based on the one-boson method; the ground state thus obtained is employed for the study of the longitudinal modes. The full energy spectra of both the transverse modes (i.e., magnons) and the longitudinal modes are obtained as functions of the nearest-neighbor coupling and the anisotropy constants. We have found two longitudinal modes due to the non-collinear nature of the triangular antiferromagnetic order, similar to that of the phenomenological field theory approach by Affleck. The excitation energy gaps due to the anisotropy and the energy gaps of the longitudinal modes without anisotropy are then investigated. We then compares our results for the longitudinal energy gaps at the magnetic wavevectors with the experimental results for several antiferromagnetic compounds with both integer and non-integer spin quantum numbers, and we find good agreements after the higher-order contributions are included in our calculations.