The one-dimensional quantum spin-\textonehalf{} Heisenberg antiferromagnetic model with randomly distributed interaction strengths is solved approximately for several different distributions. Ground-state energy and low-temperature properties are evaluated. Universal qualitative features are found in the specific heat and the magnetic susceptibility, which display a power-law dependence on temperature. Such features hold for nonsingular distributions as well as for distributions with power-law divergence at the origin. The approximate method of solution is based on successive eliminations of spins coupled by the maximum coupling constant.
The low-temperature thermodynamic properties of a spin-\textonehalf{} one-dimensional random anisotropic (Heisenberg-Ising) antiferromagnet described by the Hamiltonian $H=\ensuremath{\Sigma}{i}^{}{J}_{i}({\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{x}^{i}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{x}^{i+1}+{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{y}^{i}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{y}^{i+1}+\ensuremath{\gamma}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{z}^{i}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{z}^{i+1})$ are studied as a function of disorder and anisotropy. The
Ji> 0 are independent random variables obeying a probability distribution
P(J), and $0<~\ensuremath{\gamma}<~\ensuremath{\infty}$. The approach used is a numerical implementation of a real-space renormalization-group (RG) method previously introduced. The isotropic Heisenberg case ($\ensuremath{\gamma}=1$), the
XY case ($\ensuremath{\gamma}=0$). and the Ising case ($\ensuremath{\gamma}=\ensuremath{\infty}$) are fixed points of the RG transformation. It is found that in the
XY region $\ensuremath{\gamma}<~1$, including the Heisenberg point, the system exhibits singular behavior in the thermodynamic properties for arbitrary probability distributions for the couplings. For the
XY limit ($\ensuremath{\gamma}=0$) this is in agreement with known exact results. The functional form for the low-temperature susceptibility is found to be $\ensuremath{\chi}\ensuremath{\sim}\frac{1}{(T{\mathrm{ln}}^{m}(\frac{T}{{T}_{0}}))}$ in the entire region $0<~\ensuremath{\gamma}<~1$ for arbitrary probability distributions. In the Ising region ($\ensuremath{\gamma}>1$) the susceptibility shows an approximate power-law divergence for small anisotropy but goes eventually to zero as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. Possible relevance of these results to recent experiments on Qn
(TCNQ)2 is discussed.
The nearest-neighbor random-exchange Heisenberg antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain (
s=21) is studied at low temperatures via an approximate renormalization-group method. This entails renormalization of the random-exchange coupling constant
J and of the probability law for
J.
P0(J). After
n iterations we find that the renormalized probability function
Pn(J(n)), a function of the renormalized coupling
J(n), develops singular behavior for small
J(n), independent of the initial form of
P0(J). This happens both for
P0(J) that diverge or go to zero as $J\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. The singular form of
Pn(J(n)) is such that it leads to a specific heat and susceptibility that behave like $C\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{C}(T)}$ and $\ensuremath{\chi}\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}(T)}$. ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{C}(T)$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}(T)$ are exponents weakly dependent on temperature (
T) that go to one as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ and satisfy ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}(T)>{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{C}(T)$, for arbitrary initial probability laws. The classical
n-vector models, and in particular the classical Heisenberg model are also studied using a renormalization-group approach and it is found that their behavior is different than that of the quantum model: singular behavior in the thermodynamic properties is only obtained if the starting
P0(J) is singular. An explanation of these results in terms of the scaling theory of localization is suggested. The relevance of our results to the experimental findings on the magnetic properties of tetracyanoquinodimethanide complexes is also discussed.
The low-temperature thermodynamic properties of a random antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain in zero magnetic field are studied approximately by a renormalisation group method. The couplings J obey a probability distribution function P(J) approximately 1/J alpha , with alpha a constant. It is found that the susceptibility chi and the specific heat C behave like chi approximately T - alpha chi and C approximately T 1- alpha c at low temperatures alpha chi and alpha c are weakly varying functions of temperature and slowly approach unity as T goes to zero. Comparison of these results with other theoretical analysis as well as experimental results on organic charge transfer compounds is also discussed.
The low energy properties of the spin-1/2 random Heisenberg chain with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions are studied by means of the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) and real space renormalization group (RSRG) method for finite chains. The results of the two methods are consistent with each other. The deviation of the gap distribution from that of the random singlet phase and the formation of the large-spin state is observed even for relatively small systems. For a small fraction of the ferromagnetic bond, the effect of the crossover to the random singlet phase on the low temperature susceptibility and specific heat is discussed. The crossover concentration of the ferromagnetic bond is estimated from the numerical data.
The one-dimensional isotropic quantum Heisenberg spin systems with random couplings and random spin sizes are investigated using a real-space renormalization-group scheme. It is demonstrated that these systems belong to a universality class of disordered spin systems, characterized by weakly coupled large effective spins. In this large-spin phase the uniform magnetic susceptibility diverges as ${\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ with a nonuniversal Curie constant at low temperatures T, while the specific heat vanishes as ${\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{|}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}\mathrm{|}}$|ln T| for T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0. For a broad range of initial distributions of couplings and spin sizes the distribution functions approach a single fixed-point form, where \ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\approx}-0.44. For some singular initial distributions, however, the fixed-point form of distributions becomes nonuniversal, suggesting that there is a line of fixed points.