Oxford University Press eBooks
SPIN 1/2 CHAINS
Thierry Giamarchi
Abstract
This chapter examines the question of spin systems, the simplest realization of Luttinger liquids. The peculiarities of one dimension make the solution of this problem quite surprising and different from what our intuition expects based on a classical vision of the spins. The spin 1/2 chain and its physical properties are discussed, along with the use of one-dimensional interacting fermions to solve the spin chain problem. The ideal spin 1/2 chain can be perturbed in many ways. Each of these perturbations can lead to some quite rich physics. This chapter considers the simplest of them, perturbations that apply to strictly one-dimensional chains, and examines coupling between chains.