We study
XXZ Heisenberg models on frustrated triangular lattices wrapped around a cylinder. In addition to having interesting magnetic phases, these models are equivalent to Bose-Hubbard models that describe the physical problem of adsorption of noble gases on the surface of carbon nanotubes. We find analytical results for the possible magnetization plateau values as a function of the wrapping vectors of the cylinder, which in general introduce extra geometric frustration besides the one due to the underlying triangular lattice. We show that for particular wrapping vectors
(N,0), which correspond to the zigzag nanotubes, there is a macroscopically degenerate ground state in the classical Ising limit. The Hilbert space for the degenerate states can be enumerated by a mapping first into a path in a square lattice wrapped around a cylinder (a Bratteli diagram), and then to free fermions interacting with a single
ZN degree of freedom. From this model we obtain the spectrum in the anisotropic Heisenberg limit, showing that it is gapless. The continuum limit is a
c=1 conformal field theory with compactification radius
R=N set by the physical tube radius. This result cannot be checked against a Lieb-Schultz-Mattis argument, for the argument is inconclusive when applied to this problem. We show that the compactification radius quantization is exact in the projective ${J}_{\mathrm{xy}}{/J}_{z}\ensuremath{\ll}1$ limit, and that higher-order corrections reduce the value of R. The particular case of a
(N=2,0) tube, which corresponds to a two-leg ladder with cross links, is studied separately and shown to be gapped because the fermion-mapped problem contains superconducting pairing terms.
Recently some quantum spin systems on tube lattices, so called spin nanotubes, have been synthesized. They are expected to be interesting low-dimensional systems like the carbon nanotubes. As the first step of theoretical study on the spin nanotube, we investigate the S=1/2 three-leg spin tube, which is the simplest one, using the numerical exact diagonalization and the finite-size scaling analysis. In our previous works the quantum phase transition between the spin-gap and gapless phases was revealed to occur due to the asymmetric lattice distortion. In addition the transition between the magnetization plateau and gapless phases at 1/3 of the saturation magnetization induced by the same distortion. Recently we found that the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid is realized in the 1/3 magnetization plateau phase for the symmetric three-leg spin tube.
Recent developments of theoretical studies on spin nanotubes are reviewed, especially focusing on the S = 1/2 three-leg spin tube. In contrast to the three-leg spin ladder, the tube has a spin gap in the case of the regular-triangle unit cell when the rung interaction is sufficiently large. The effective theory based on the Hubbard Hamiltonian indicates a quantum phase transition to a gapless spin liquid due to the lattice distortion to an isosceles triangle. This is also supported by the numerical diagonalization and the density matrix renormalization group analyses. Furthermore, combining analytical and numerical approaches, we reveal several novel magnetic-field-induced phenomena: Néel, dimer, chiral and/or inhomogeneous orders, a new mechanism for the magnetization plateau formation, and others. The recently synthesized spin tube materials are also briefly introduced.
We present numerical studies of quantum walks on
C60 and related graphene structures to investigate their transport properties. Also known as a honeycomb lattice, the lattice formed by carbon atoms in the graphene phase can be rolled up to form nanotubes of various dimensions. Graphene nanotubes have many important applications, some of which rely on their unusual electrical conductivity and related properties. Quantum walks on graphs provide an abstract setting in which to study such transport properties independent of the other chemical and physical properties of a physical substance. They can thus be used to further the understanding of mechanisms behind such properties. We find that nanotube structures are significantly more efficient in transporting a quantum walk than cycles of equivalent size, provided the symmetry of the structure is respected in how they are used. We find faster transport on zigzag nanotubes compared to armchair nanotubes, which is unexpected given that for the actual materials the armchair nanotube is metallic, while the zigzag is semiconducting.
Recently some quantum spin systems on tube lattices, so called spin nanotubes, have been synthesized. They are expected to be interesting low-dimensional systems like the carbon nanotubes. As the first step of theoretical study on the spin nanotube, we investigate the S = 1/2 three-leg spin tube, which is the simplest one, using the numerical exact diagonalization (ED), combined with the recently developed level spectroscopy analysis. Particularly, we introduce the lattice distortion from the regular triangle unit to the isosceles one. We revealed that the S = 1/2 isosceles triangle spin tube exhibits the quantum phase transition between the spin gapped and gapless spin liquid phases.
We investigate the S = 1/2 three-leg spin tube, which is the simplest spin nanotube, using the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) and the numerical exact diagonalization (ED), conbined with a finite-size scaling analysis. Particularly, we intruduce the lattice distortion from the regular triangle unit to the isosceles one. In our previous works, we revealed that the S = 1/2 isosceles triangle spin tube exhibits following exotic quantum phenomena: the quantum phase transition between the spin gapped and gapless spin liquid phases, the 1/3 magnetization plateau due to two different mechanisms, and a new phase between the two plateau phases where the translational symmetry is spontaneously broken. We briefly review these results and show our new calculation of the expectation value of the magnetization at each site to specify the spin structure in the new field induced phase.