Low Temperature Physics
Magnetic properties of the quantum Shastry–Sutherland model with spin S = 1/2
Victor V. Slavin, A. A. Krivchikov
Abstract
Magnetization dependence on the external magnetic field was studied in a system with the Shastry–Sutherland lattice using exact diagonalization method at zero temperature within the xxz-model with spin S = 1/2. It was found that contrary to the classical Heisenberg model, the magnetization plateaus corresponding to m* = m/msat = 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 (here msat is the saturation magnetization) exist even in the case of isotropic exchange interactions. The effect of exchange interaction on the width of the plateaus was studied. It was shown that depending on the ratio of exchange constants, there exist three regions corresponding to different types of the behavior of the system: the regions of a Neel-like antiferromagnet, a “dimer” antiferromagnet, and an intermediate region where the unique properties of Shastry–Sutherland lattices are most pronounced. The boundaries of these regions were also determined.