A set of Jastrow wave functions comprises exact eigenstates of a family of S=
21 antiferromagnetic chains with ${\mathrm{r}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ exchange. The ground state of the isotropic model is in this set, and is identical to the U\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} limit of the Gutzwiller wave function, also identified as Anderson's ``resonating-valence-bond'' state. The full set of energy levels of this model is obtained; the spectrum exhibits remarkable ``supermultiplet'' degeneracies suggesting the existence of a hidden continuous symmetry.
We study a class of spin-1/2 quantum antiferromagnetic chains using DMRG technique. The exchange interaction in these models decreases linearly as a function of the separation between the spins,
Jij=R−∣i−j∣ for
∣i−j∣≤R. For the separations beyond
R, the interaction is zero. The range parameter
R takes positive integer values. The models corresponding to all the odd values of
R are known to have the same exact doubly degenerate dimer ground state as for the Majumdar-Ghosh (MG) model. In fact, R=3 is the MG model. For even
R, the exact ground state is not known in general, except for R=2 (the Bethe ansatz solvable Heisenberg chain) and in the asymptotic limit of
R where the two MG dimer states again emerge as the exact ground state. In the present work, we numerically investigate the even-
R models whose ground state is not known analytically. In particular, for R=4, 6 and 8, we have computed a number of ground state properties. We find that, unlike R=2, the higher even-
R models are spin-gapped, and show strong dimer-dimer correlations of the MG type. Moreover, the spin-spin correlations decay very rapidly, albeit showing weak periodic revivals.
Exact diagonalization of finite spin-1/2 chains with periodic boundary conditions is applied to the ground state (GS) of chains with ferromagnetic (F) exchange
J1<0 between first neighbors, antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange ${J}_{2}=\ensuremath{\alpha}{J}_{1}>0$ between second neighbors, and axial anisotropy $0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\le}1$. In zero field, the GS is in the
Sz=0 sector for the relevant parameters and is doubly degenerate at multiple points ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{m}=({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{m},{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{m})$ in the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ plane. Degeneracy under inversion at sites or spin-parity or both leads, respectively, to a bond order wave (BOW), to staggered magnetization, or to vector chiral (VC) order. Exact results up to
N=28 spins directly yield order parameters and spin correlation functions whose weak
N dependencies allow inferences about infinite chains. The high-spin GS at
J2=0 changes discontinuously at ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}=(\ensuremath{-}1/4,1)$ to a singlet in the isotropic ($\ensuremath{\Delta}=1$) chain. The transition from high to low spin $S(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\Delta})$ is continuous for $\ensuremath{\Delta}<{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{B}=0.95\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01$ on the degeneracy line ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}(\ensuremath{\Delta})$. The GS has staggered magnetization between ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{A}=0.72$ and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{B}$ and a BOW for $\ensuremath{\Delta}<{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{A}$. When both inversion and spin-parity are reversed at ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{m}$, the correlation functions
C(p) for spins separated by
p sites are identical.
C(p) minima are shifted by $\ensuremath{\pi}/2$ from the minima of VC order parameters at separation
p, consistent with right- and left-handed helices along the
z axis and spins in the
xy plane. Degenerate GSs of finite chains are related to quantum phase diagrams of extended $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ chains, with good agreement for order parameters along the line ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}(\ensuremath{\Delta})$. Degenerate GSs limit a VC phase to intermediate $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ where $S(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\Delta})$ varies rapidly but continuously, in contrast to many-body treatments in which VC phases extend over a larger range of parameters.
The spin-1/2 chain with isotropic Heisenberg exchange J1, J2 > 0 between first and second neighbors is frustrated for either sign of J1. Its quantum phase diagram has critical points at fixed J1/J2 between gapless phases with nondegenerate ground state (GS) and quasi-long-range order (QLRO) and gapped phases with doubly degenerate GS and spin correlation functions of finite range. In finite chains, exact diagonalization (ED) estimates critical points as level crossing of excited states. GS spin correlations enter in the spin structure factor S(q) that diverges at wave vector qm in QLRO(q(m)) phases with periodicity 2π/q(m) but remains finite in gapped phases. S(q(m)) is evaluated using ED and density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations. Level crossing and the magnitude of S(q(m)) are independent and complementary probes of quantum phases, based respectively on excited and ground states. Both indicate a gapless QLRO(π/2) phase between -1.2 < J1/|J2| < 0.45. Numerical results and field theory agree well for quantum critical points at small frustration J2 but disagree in the sector of weak exchange J1 between Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chains on sublattices of odd and even-numbered sites.
The quantum phases of one-dimensional spin
s=1/2 chains are discussed for models with two parameters, frustrating exchange
g=J2>0 between second neighbors and normalized nonfrustrating power-law exchange with exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and distance dependence ${r}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}}$. The ground state (GS) at
g=0 has a long-range order (LRO) for $\ensuremath{\alpha}<2$ and long-range spin fluctuations for $\ensuremath{\alpha}>2$. The models conserve total spin
S=SA+SB, have singlet GS for any
g, $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\ge}0$ and decouple at
1/g=0 to linear Heisenberg antiferromagnets on sublattices
A and
B of odd- and even-numbered sites. Exact diagonalization of finite chains gives the sublattice spin $\ensuremath{\langle}{S}_{A}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}$, the magnetic gap
Em to the lowest triplet state, and the excitation ${E}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}$ to the lowest singlet with opposite inversion symmetry to the GS. An analytical model that conserves sublattice spin has a first-order quantum transition at
gc=1/4ln2 from a GS with perfect LRO to a decoupled phase with
SA=SB=0 for $g\ensuremath{\ge}4/{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}$ and no correlation between spins in different sublattices. The model with $\ensuremath{\alpha}=1$ has a first-order transition to a decoupled phase that closely resembles the analytical model. The bond order wave (BOW) phase and continuous quantum phase transitions of finite models with $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\ge}2$ are discussed in terms of GS degeneracy where ${E}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}(g)=0$, excited state degeneracy where ${E}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}(g)={E}_{m}(g)$, and $\ensuremath{\langle}{S}_{A}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}$. The decoupled phase at large frustration has nondegenerate GS for any exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and excited states related to sublattice excitations.