The magnetization
M(h) is used to identify three singlet quantum phases of the ladder with isotropic exchange interactions. The Dimer phase with frustrated F exchanges in rungs and legs has a first-order
M(h) transition at
0 K from singlet to ferromagnetic at the saturation field
hs. The Haldane-DAF phase with strong F exchange in rungs and net AF exchange between rungs has continuous
M(h) and is adiabatically connected to the
S=1 Heisenberg AF chain. The AF phase with strong F exchange in legs and net AF exchange between legs has continuous
M(h) and is adiabatically connected to the spin-1/2
J1−J2 model with
J1>0 and
J2<0. All three singlet phases have finite gaps to the lowest triplet state.
The frustrated ladder with alternate ferromagnetic(F) exchange
−JF and AF exchange
JA to first neighbors and F exchange
−JL to second neighbors is studied by exact diagonalization (ED) and density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations in systems of
2N spins-1/2 with periodic boundary conditions. The ground state is a singlet
(S=0) and the singlet-triplet gap
εT is finite for the exchanges considered. Spin-1/2 string correlation functions
g1(N) and
g2(N) are defined for an even number
N of consecutive spins in systems with two spins per unit cell; the ladder has string order
g2(∞)>0 and
g1(∞)=0. The minimum
N∗ of
g2(N) is related to the range of ground-state spin correlations. Convergence to
g2(∞) is from below, and
g1(N) decreases exponentially for
N≥N∗. Singlet valence bond (VB) diagrams account for the size dependencies. The frustrated ladder at special values of
JF,
JL and
JA reduces to well-known models such as the spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnet and the
J1−J2 model, among others. Numerical analysis of ladders matches previous results for spin-1 gaps or string correlation functions and extends them to spin-1/2 systems. The nondegenerate singlet ground state of ladder is a bond-order wave, a Kekulé VB diagrams at
JL=JF/2≤JA, that is reversed on interchanging
−JF and
JA. Inversion symmetry is spontaneously broken in the dimer phase of the
J1−J2 model where the Kekulé diagrams are the doubly degenerate ground states at
J2/J1=1/2.
The frustrated ladder with alternate ferromagnetic exchange $\ensuremath{-}{J}_{F}$ and antiferromagnetic exchange
JA to first neighbors and ferromagnetic exchange $\ensuremath{-}{J}_{L}$ to second neighbors is studied by exact diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group calculations in systems of
2N spins-
21 with periodic boundary conditions. The ground state is a singlet
(S=0) and the singlet-triplet gap ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{T}$ is finite for the exchanges considered. Spin-
21 string correlation functions
g1(N) and
g2(N) are defined for an even number
N of consecutive spins in systems with two spins per unit cell; the ladder has string order ${g}_{2}(\ensuremath{\infty})>0$ and ${g}_{1}(\ensuremath{\infty})=0$. The minimum
N∗ of
g2(N) is related to the range of ground-state spin correlations. Convergence to ${g}_{2}(\ensuremath{\infty})$ is from below, and
g1(N) decreases exponentially for $N\ensuremath{\ge}{N}^{*}$. Singlet valence bond (VB) diagrams account for the size dependencies. The frustrated ladder at special values of
JF,JL, and
JA reduces to well-known models such as the spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnet and the ${J}_{1}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{J}_{2}$ model, among others. Numerical analysis of ladders matches previous results for spin-1 gaps or string correlation functions and extends them to spin-
21 systems. The nondegenerate singlet ground state of the ladder is a bond-order wave, a Kekul\'e VB diagram at ${J}_{L}={J}_{F}/2\ensuremath{\le}{J}_{A}$, that is reversed on interchanging $\ensuremath{-}{J}_{F}$ and
JA. Inversion symmetry is spontaneously broken in the dimer phase of the ${J}_{1}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{J}_{2}$ model where the Kekul\'e diagrams are the doubly degenerate ground states at
J2/J1=1/2.
The quantum phases of two-leg spin-
21 ladders with skewed rungs are obtained using exact diagonalization of systems with up to 26 spins and by density-matrix renormalization-group calculations to 500 spins. The ladders have isotropic antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange
J2>0 between first neighbors in the legs, variable isotropic AF exchange
J1 between some first neighbors in different legs, and an unpaired spin per odd-membered ring when ${J}_{1}\ensuremath{\gg}{J}_{2}$. Ladders with skewed rungs and variable
J1 have frustrated AF interactions leading to multiple quantum phases: AF at small
J1, either ferromagnetic or AF at large
J1, as well as bond-order-wave phases or reentrant AF (singlet) phases at intermediate
J1.
Using the density matrix renormalization group method, we determine the phase diagram of a frustrated bond-alternating S = 1/2 Heisenberg ladder with ferro-antiferromagnetic couplings at zero temperature. With the interactions between spins along the rungs set, we identify three spin-gapped phases (the Haldane phase, the singlet phase and the dimer phase) in the whole parameter range. The analysis of our data shows that two-leg spin bond-alternating ladders have a rich phase diagram if both rung and diagonal couplings are taken into account.
Abstract We study a frustrated two-leg spin ladder with alternate isotropic Heisenberg and Ising rung exchange interactions, whereas, interactions along legs and diagonals are Ising-type. All the interactions in the ladder are anti-ferromagnetic in nature and induce frustration in the system. This model shows four interesting quantum phases: (i) stripe rung ferromagnetic (SRFM), (ii) stripe rung ferromagnetic with edge singlet (SRFM-E), (iii) anisotropic antiferromagnetic (AAFM), and (iv) stripe leg ferromagnetic (SLFM) phase. We construct a quantum phase diagram for this model and show that in stripe rung ferromagnet (SRFM), the same type of sublattice spins (either isotropic S -type or discrete anisotropic σ -type spins) are aligned in the same direction. Whereas, in anisotropic antiferromagnetic phase, both S and σ -type of spins are anti-ferromagnetically aligned with each other, two nearest S spins along the rung form an anisotropic singlet bond whereas two nearest σ spins form an Ising bond. In large Heisenberg rung exchange interaction limit, spins on each leg are ferromagnetically aligned, but spins on different legs are anti-ferromagnetically aligned. The thermodynamic quantities like specific heat C v ( T ), magnetic susceptibility χ ( T ) and thermal entropy S ( T ) are also calculated using the transfer matrix method for various phases. The magnetic gap in the SRFM and the SLFM can be noticed from χ ( T ) and C v ( T ) curves.