arXiv:cond-mat/0010418 · Physical review. B, Condensed matter
Nonperturbative effective-field theory for two-leg antiferromagnetic spin ladders
D. C. Cabra, A. Dobry, G. L. Rossini
Abstract
We study the long wavelength limit of a spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg antiferromagnetic two-leg ladder, treating the interchain coupling in a nonperturbative way. We perform a mean field analysis and then include the fluctuations in an exact way. This allows for a discussion of the phase diagram of the system and provides an effective-field theory for the low-energy excitations. The coset fermionic Lagrangian obtained corresponds to a perturbed ${\mathrm{SU}(4)}_{1}/U(1)$ conformal field theory (CFT). This effective theory is naturally embedded in a ${\mathrm{SU}(2)}_{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{Z}_{2}$ CFT, where perturbations are easily identified in terms of conformal operators in the two sectors. Crossed and zigzag ladders are also discussed using the same approach.