Physica Scripta
Monte Carlo Simulations of the Quantum XXZ Model in Two Dimensions
Eugene Loh, Douglas J. Scalapino, Paul Michael Grant
Abstract
The XXZ spin Hamitonian H = - ( S i x S j x + S i y S j y + λ S i z S j z ) is simulated for quantum spins. The XY model (λ = 0) has a Kosterlitz- Thouless Phase transition T KT = 0.45 ± 0.05, slightly above which the specific heat has a finite peak. The vortex density has a non-zero value in the low-temperature limit, probably due to quantum fluctuations. The critical temperature holds up at least to λ = -0.8. The Ising transition temperature T Ising is measured for Ising-like antiferromagnets λ < -1 and is found to drop off to zero in a manner consistent with the reciprocal-logarithmic behavior T c α-1/log|-λ-1|, as proposed for the classical model.