© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:2607.28983

Generalized Holstein-Primakoff transformation with optimizable bosonic truncation

Yang Liu, Jia‐Wei Mei, Rong Yu, Z. Y. Xie, Hong-Gang Luo, Jize Zhao

Published Jul 31, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

Spin-wave theory provides a quasiparticle description of excitation spectra in quantum spin systems. In this theory, the spin operators are usually bosonized by the Holstein-Primakoff transformation or the Dyson-Maleev transformation. In practical calculations, the bosonized Hamiltonian has to be truncated, and thus the resulting excitation spectra depend on the choice of bosonic representation. Here, we introduce a generalized Holstein-Primakoff transformation that continuously interpolates between the conventional Holstein-Primakoff and Dyson-Maleev transformations through a single parameter. The formulation naturally extends to the SU(N) algebra and provides a flexible framework for optimizing bosonic truncations beyond harmonic order. As an application, we investigate the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model on the square lattice. By combining the generalized Holstein-Primakoff transformation with continuous similarity transformations, we obtain excitation spectra in excellent agreement with tensor-network calculations. Our results demonstrate that optimizing the bosonic representation substantially reduces truncation errors and provides quantitatively reliable descriptions of both quasiparticle dispersions and multi-boson continua.

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2607.28983

Related papers

Convergence of Boson Expansion Theory

Motoyuki Sato, Kosuke Takada

When the Holstein-Primakoff (Hermitian)-type boson expansion theory is applied for nuclear structure calculations, truncation at the fourth-order expansion of the boson Hamiltonian is often used. The Dyson-type boson mapping has no difficulty concerning boson expansion, since the Dyson boson Hamiltonian is written in up to sixth-order boson operators, and we do not have to make any truncation of the boson expansion. In the present work, we propose a new clear-cut method to obtain the normal-ordered Holstein-Primakoff boson expansion. Using this method, we test whether or not the truncation of the boson expansion is good approximation in various cases. We show that truncation at the fourth-order expansion of the normal-ordered Holstein-Primakoff boson Hamiltonian is a rather good approximation, but it is not sufficient for detailed analyses.

Progress of Theoretical Physics•Sep 1, 1998•1 citation

Projected Holstein-Primakoff boson representation of quantum spins for spin wave theory

Ke Liu, Fangyu Xiong, Fa Wang

The Holstein-Primakoff boson representation of quantum spins and associated large-$S$ expansion have been the standard framework for describing the spin wave excitations in magnetically order phases of quantum spin systems. However, we will show that the omission of projection operators and normal-ordering in this representation can produce incorrect magnon hamiltonians for finite $S$. We will present the exact normal-ordered forms of the finite-$S$ projection operators and projected Holstein-Primakoff boson representations of spin and quadrupole operators, which can produce exact two-magnon interaction terms under ferromagnetic or fully polarized states. We will also discuss the difficulties of applying this projected representation to antiferromagnetic spin wave theory.

arXiv:2509.26607•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Dec 22, 2025•0 citations

Virtues and limitations of the truncated Holstein-Primakoff description of quantum rotors

Jorge G. Hirsch, Eduardo Nahmad-Achar

Abstract. A Hamiltonian describing the collective behaviour of N interacting spins can be mapped to a bosonic one employing the Holstein-Primakoff realisation, at the expense of having an infinite series in powers of the boson creation and annihilation operators. Truncating this series up to quadratic terms allows for the obtention of analytic solutions through a Bogoliubov transformation, which becomes exact in the limit N → ∞. The Hamiltonian exhibits a phase transition from single spin excitations to a collective mode. In a vicinity of this phase transition the truncated solutions predict the existence of singularities for finite number of spins, which have no counterpart in the exact diagonalization. Renormalisation allows to extract from these divergences the exact behaviour of relevant observables with the number of spins around the phase transition, and relate it with the class of universality to which the model belongs. In the present work a detailed analysis of these aspects is presented for the Lipkin model.

•Aug 17, 2016•20 citations

Virtues and limitations of the truncated Holstein–Primakoff description of quantum rotors

Jorge G Hirsch, Octavio Castaños, Ramón López-Peña +1 more

A Hamiltonian describing the collective behaviour of N interacting spins can be mapped to a bosonic one employing the Holstein-Primakoff realisation, at the expense of having an infinite series in powers of the boson creation and annihilation operators. Truncating this series up to quadratic terms allows for the obtention of analytic solutions through a Bogoliubov transformation, which becomes exact in the limit N -> infinit. The Hamiltonian exhibits a phase transition from single spin excitations to a collective mode. In a vicinity of this phase transition the truncated solutions predict the existence of singularities for finite number of spins, which have no counterpart in the exact diagonalization. Renormalisation allows to extract from these divergences the exact behaviour of relevant observables with the number of spins around the phase transition, and relate it with the class of universality to which the model belongs. In the present work a detailed analysis of these aspects is presented for the Lipkin model.

arXiv:1210.0028•Physica Scripta•Feb 11, 2013•23 citations

Inverse Holstein-Primakoff transformation of bosonic operators —Application to a bilayer model

Carla Maria Pontes Carneiro, G. Q. Pellegrino

Abstract An inversion of the Holstein-Primakoff transformation is proposed such that creation and annihilation operators for a bosonic field are rewritten as operators of an SU (2) algebra. In association with more common quadratic combinations for fermionic operators, that inverse transformation sets a quantum Hamiltonian fully in terms of SU (2) operators. A subsequent application of the prescription by Lieb, to obtain the classical limit for spin operators, then allows one to write effciently a classical Hamiltonian for the system. This process is illustrated for a bilayer model undergoing an (electron-hole)-to-exciton quantum phase transition.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Feb 24, 2023•2 citations

Modification of the Conventional Holstein-Primakoff Boson Representation for the su(1,1)-Algebra and Its Classical Counterpart

A. Kuriyama, João da Providência, Y. Tsue +1 more

In order to avoid unsatisfactory points of the conventional Holstein-Primakoff representation of the su(1,1)-algebra for the description of thermal effects in many-boson or oscillating systems, the conventional form is modified. The basic idea can be found in a possible canonical transformation from the conventional to the new form. Four forms are given, and with the aid of these modified forms, it is expected to describe, for example, fluctuations around a bose-condensed state.

Progress of Theoretical Physics•May 1, 1998•0 citations

Spin-wave theory provides a quasiparticle description of excitation spectra in quantum spin systems. In this theory, the spin operators are usually bosonized by the Holstein-Primakoff transformation or the Dyson-Maleev transformation. In practical calculations, the bosonized Hamiltonian has to be truncated, and thus the resulting excitation spectra depend on the choice of bosonic representation. Here, we introduce a generalized Holstein-Primakoff transformation that continuously interpolates between the conventional Holstein-Primakoff and Dyson-Maleev transformations through a single parameter. The formulation naturally extends to the SU(N) algebra and provides a flexible framework for optimizing bosonic truncations beyond harmonic order. As an application, we investigate the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model on the square lattice. By combining the generalized Holstein-Primakoff transformation with continuous similarity transformations, we obtain excitation spectra in excellent agreement with tensor-network calculations. Our results demonstrate that optimizing the bosonic representation substantially reduces truncation errors and provides quantitatively reliable descriptions of both quasiparticle dispersions and multi-boson continua.

When the Holstein-Primakoff (Hermitian)-type boson expansion theory is applied for nuclear structure calculations, truncation at the fourth-order expansion of the boson Hamiltonian is often used. The Dyson-type boson mapping has no difficulty concerning boson expansion, since the Dyson boson Hamiltonian is written in up to sixth-order boson operators, and we do not have to make any truncation of the boson expansion. In the present work, we propose a new clear-cut method to obtain the normal-ordered Holstein-Primakoff boson expansion. Using this method, we test whether or not the truncation of the boson expansion is good approximation in various cases. We show that truncation at the fourth-order expansion of the normal-ordered Holstein-Primakoff boson Hamiltonian is a rather good approximation, but it is not sufficient for detailed analyses.

The Holstein-Primakoff boson representation of quantum spins and associated large-

S

expansion have been the standard framework for describing the spin wave excitations in magnetically order phases of quantum spin systems. However, we will show that the omission of projection operators and normal-ordering in this representation can produce incorrect magnon hamiltonians for finite

S

. We will present the exact normal-ordered forms of the finite-

S

projection operators and projected Holstein-Primakoff boson representations of spin and quadrupole operators, which can produce exact two-magnon interaction terms under ferromagnetic or fully polarized states. We will also discuss the difficulties of applying this projected representation to antiferromagnetic spin wave theory.

Abstract. A Hamiltonian describing the collective behaviour of N interacting spins can be mapped to a bosonic one employing the Holstein-Primakoff realisation, at the expense of having an infinite series in powers of the boson creation and annihilation operators. Truncating this series up to quadratic terms allows for the obtention of analytic solutions through a Bogoliubov transformation, which becomes exact in the limit N → ∞. The Hamiltonian exhibits a phase transition from single spin excitations to a collective mode. In a vicinity of this phase transition the truncated solutions predict the existence of singularities for finite number of spins, which have no counterpart in the exact diagonalization. Renormalisation allows to extract from these divergences the exact behaviour of relevant observables with the number of spins around the phase transition, and relate it with the class of universality to which the model belongs. In the present work a detailed analysis of these aspects is presented for the Lipkin model.

A Hamiltonian describing the collective behaviour of N interacting spins can be mapped to a bosonic one employing the Holstein-Primakoff realisation, at the expense of having an infinite series in powers of the boson creation and annihilation operators. Truncating this series up to quadratic terms allows for the obtention of analytic solutions through a Bogoliubov transformation, which becomes exact in the limit N -> infinit. The Hamiltonian exhibits a phase transition from single spin excitations to a collective mode. In a vicinity of this phase transition the truncated solutions predict the existence of singularities for finite number of spins, which have no counterpart in the exact diagonalization. Renormalisation allows to extract from these divergences the exact behaviour of relevant observables with the number of spins around the phase transition, and relate it with the class of universality to which the model belongs. In the present work a detailed analysis of these aspects is presented for the Lipkin model.

Abstract An inversion of the Holstein-Primakoff transformation is proposed such that creation and annihilation operators for a bosonic field are rewritten as operators of an SU (2) algebra. In association with more common quadratic combinations for fermionic operators, that inverse transformation sets a quantum Hamiltonian fully in terms of SU (2) operators. A subsequent application of the prescription by Lieb, to obtain the classical limit for spin operators, then allows one to write effciently a classical Hamiltonian for the system. This process is illustrated for a bilayer model undergoing an (electron-hole)-to-exciton quantum phase transition.