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Physical review. B, Condensed matter

Ground-state properties of generalized Heisenberg chains with composite spin

Jenő Sólyom, JUSSI TIMONEN

Published Oct 1, 1988• 15 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We consider in detail the ground-state properties of recently introduced generalized Heisenberg models which can have several spin operators at each site and which interpolate smoothly between Heisenberg chains of different spin lengths. We show that the mappings to field-theoretical models used to describe the critical properties of the Heisenberg model remain valid in the composite-spin model. In models which interpolate between the spin-(1/2 and the spin-1 behavior, these mappings predict an extended singlet phase around the isotropic antiferromagnetic point whenever the models move away from the spin-(1/2 point. Numerical calculations on finite chains seem to confirm the existence of this singlet phase. The phase boundaries are, however, found to be independent of the interpolation parameter, and thus in disagreement with the predictions of the continuum theory, indicating its limitation.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.38.6832

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Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Dec 1, 1985•13 citations
We consider in detail the ground-state properties of recently introduced generalized Heisenberg models which can have several spin operators at each site and which interpolate smoothly between Heisenberg chains of different spin lengths. We show that the mappings to field-theoretical models used to describe the critical properties of the Heisenberg model remain valid in the composite-spin model. In models which interpolate between the spin-(1/2 and the spin-1 behavior, these mappings predict an extended singlet phase around the isotropic antiferromagnetic point whenever the models move away from the spin-(1/2 point. Numerical calculations on finite chains seem to confirm the existence of this singlet phase. The phase boundaries are, however, found to be independent of the interpolation parameter, and thus in disagreement with the predictions of the continuum theory, indicating its limitation.
Composite spin models are constructed such that, by varying two parameters, they interpolate between the spin-(1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain and a number of spin-1 models. These include the usual Heisenberg model, the integrable spin-1 model, and the model with an exact valence-bond ground state. Finite-chain calculations are performed on the composite spin model to study its criticality, and to find if the integrable spin-1 model is a multicritical point with a finite gap generated away from it. We find indications for an extended gapless region.
Since the Heisenberg spin chain can be considered the simplest realistic model of magnetism, surprise and some degree of controversy have resulted from recent work of Haldane. The prediction is that quantum spin chains with half-integer spin should all display T=0 phase behavior equivalent to that of the Bethe Ansatz integrable (solvable) spin-1/2 quantum chain. More remarkably, the class of integer spin chains is predicted to show very different phase behavior. In particular, a gap should be present in the spectrum of a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain. This remarkable feature is counterintuitive in terms of accepted wisdom in magnetism (spin-wave theory, spin-Peierls theory) and critical phenomena. Consequently the vertification of the prediction is of great interest. A considerable amount of numerical work has been done, involving finite-chain, finite-size scaling, variational, Monte Carlo and other calculations, which will be reviewed here. The present consensus is that the weight of numerical evidence supports the prediction, although puzzling features still remain. Adding additional interactions to the basic Heisenberg Hamiltonian such as spin (XXZ) anisotropy, single-ion anisotropy, biquadratic exchange, and an applied magnetic field, generates a rich and complicated phase diagram for chains with spin >1/2, particularly for the case of integer spin. The s=1 phase diagram seems to display critical behavior of a type not previously encountered. A theoretical appraisal of the Haldane phenomenon will include a discussion of the possible role of nonintegrability. Mention will also be made of current progress in experimental investigation of the phenomenon, including problems that might be encountered. More recent work of Affleck has greatly generalized the field-theoretic mappings which underlay the original work of Haldane. A number of interesting problems have been mapped into quantum spin chains of various types, including field theoretic phenomena and the localization problem of the quantum Hall effect.
Botet and Jullien [Phys. Rev. B 27, 613 (1983)] have conducted a finite-chain scaling analysis on the spin-1 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg-Ising chain. They claim that the ground-state properties are completely different from the case of spin 12\frac{1}{2}21​. Using finite-size scaling techniques, they conclude that between the XY\mathrm{XY}XY gapless phase and the doublet-ground-state N\'eel phase, a new phase appears in an extended anisotropy range. This phase, which encompasses the isotropic Heisenberg model, is characterized by a nonmagnetic singlet ground state and a nonzero excitation-energy gap. We perform a similar finite-chain scaling analysis on the spin-12\frac{1}{2}21​ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg-Ising chain and obtain strikingly similar results. Since the spin-14\frac{1}{4}41​ system is known rigorously not to exhibit the type of behavior proposed by Botet and Jullien, their analysis is open to doubt. The possibility arises that a strong singularity at the Heisenberg point for spin 1 (similar to the essential singularity for spin 12\frac{1}{2}21​) may be giving rise to misleading results. The T=0T=0T=0 phase behavior of the spin-1 Heisenberg-Ising antiferromagnetic chain, therefore, remains in question and specific additional numerical studies are proposed to clarify the matter.
The ground state and low-lying excited states of a one-dimensional Heisenberg model with axial anisotropy are studied by extrapolation from finite lattices. The ground-state properties and the phase diagram are determined for quantum spins, especially for S=12,1,and32S=\frac{1}{2}, 1, \mathrm{and} \frac{3}{2}S=21​,1,and23​. Higher spin values do not give new features in the phase diagram. the limitations of finite-lattice extrapolation are discussed in connection with the possibility of a singlet phase for the S=1S=1S=1 isotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnet.
The authors investigate, using numerical computation of the eigenvalues of short chains, the critical behaviour of two composite spin models, which interpolate smoothly between isotropic Heisenberg chains with different values of S. For the first model which interpolates between S=1/2 and S=3/2 they find that the model is critical over the whole range and the values of the central charge and critical exponents (scaling dimensions) appear to be constant in the thermodynamic limit. In the second model, which interpolates between S=1/2 and S=1 they find that, except at S=1/2, the central charge is effectively zero, implying a non-critical behaviour.