Hierarchical Mean-Field Theories in Quantum Statistical Mechanics

We present a theoretical framework and a calculational scheme to study the coexistence and competition of thermodynamic phases in quantum statistical mechanics. The crux of the method is the realization that the microscopic Hamiltonian, modeling the system, can always be written in a hierarchical operator language that unveils all symmetry generators of the problem and, thus, possible thermodynamic phases. In general one cannot compute the thermodynamic or zero-temperature properties exactly and an approximate scheme named ``hierarchical mean-field approach'' is introduced. This approach treats all possible competing orders on an equal footing. We illustrate the methodology by determining the phase diagram and quantum critical point of a bosonic lattice model which displays coexistence and competition between antiferromagnetism and superfluidity.Comment: 4 pages, 2 psfigures. submitted Phys. Rev.

Quasiparticle vanishing driven by geometrical frustration

We investigate the single hole dynamics in the triangular t-J model. We study the structure of the hole spectral function, assuming the existence of a 120 magnetic Neel order. Within the self-consistent Born approximation (SCBA) there is a strong momentum and t sign dependence of the spectra, related to the underlying magnetic structure and the particle-hole asymmetry of the model. For positive t, and in the strong coupling regime, we find that the low energy quasiparticle excitations vanish outside the neighbourhood of the magnetic Goldstone modes; while for negative t the quasiparticle excitations are always well defined. In the latter, we also find resonances of magnetic origin whose energies scale as (J/t)^2/3 and can be identified with string excitations. We argue that this complex structure of the spectra is due to the subtle interplay between magnon-assisted and free hopping mechanisms. Our predictions are supported by an excellent agreement between the SCBA and the exact results on finite size clusters. We conclude that the conventional quasiparticle picture can be broken by the effect of geometrical magnetic frustration.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures. Published versio

Effects of spin-elastic interactions in frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnets

The Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a compressible triangular lattice in the spin- wave approximation is considered. It is shown that the interaction between quantum fluctuations and elastic degrees of freedom stabilizes the low symmetric L-phase with a collinear Neel magnetic ordering. Multi-stability in the dependence of the on-site magnetization on an unaxial pressure is found.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 2 eps figure

Stability of homogeneous magnetic phases in a generalized t-J model

We study the stability of homogeneous magnetic phases in a generalized t-J model including a same-sublattice hopping t' and nearest-neighbor repulsion V by means of the slave fermion-Schwinger boson representation of spin operators. At mean-field order we find, in agreement with other authors, that the inclusion of further-neighbor hopping and Coulomb repulsion makes the compressibility positive, thereby stabilizing at this level the spiral and Neel orders against phase separation. However, the consideration of Gaussian fluctuation of order parameters around these mean-field solutions produces unstable modes in the dynamical matrix for all relevant parameter values, leaving only reduced stability regions for the Neel phase. We have computed the one-loop corrections to the energy in these regions, and have also briefly considered the effects of the correlated hopping term that is obtained in the reduction from the Hubbard to the t-J model.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Revte

Quantum disorder in the two-dimensional pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet

We present the results of an exact diagonalization study of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a two-dimensional version of the pyrochlore lattice, also known as the square lattice with crossings or the checkerboard lattice. Examining the low energy spectra for systems of up to 24 spins, we find that all clusters studied have non-degenerate ground states with total spin zero, and big energy gaps to states with higher total spin. We also find a large number of non-magnetic excitations at energies within this spin gap. Spin-spin and spin-Peierls correlation functions appear to be short-ranged, and we suggest that the ground state is a spin liquid.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figures, RevTeX minor changes made, Figure 6 correcte

Quantum magnetism in two dimensions: From semi-classical N\'eel order to magnetic disorder

This is a review of ground-state features of the s=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on two-dimensional lattices. A central issue is the interplay of lattice topology (e.g. coordination number, non-equivalent nearest-neighbor bonds, geometric frustration) and quantum fluctuations and their impact on possible long-range order. This article presents a unified summary of all 11 two-dimensional uniform Archimedean lattices which include e.g. the square, triangular and kagome lattice. We find that the ground state of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet is likely to be semi-classically ordered in most cases. However, the interplay of geometric frustration and quantum fluctuations gives rise to a quantum paramagnetic ground state without semi-classical long-range order on two lattices which are precisely those among the 11 uniform Archimedean lattices with a highly degenerate ground state in the classical limit. The first one is the famous kagome lattice where many low-lying singlet excitations are known to arise in the spin gap. The second lattice is called star lattice and has a clear gap to all excitations. Modification of certain bonds leads to quantum phase transitions which are also discussed briefly. Furthermore, we discuss the magnetization process of the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the 11 Archimedean lattices, focusing on anomalies like plateaus and a magnetization jump just below the saturation field. As an illustration we discuss the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland model which is used to describe SrCu2(BO3)2.Comment: This is now the complete 72-page preprint version of the 2004 review article. This version corrects two further typographic errors (three total with respect to the published version), see page 2 for detail

Low-energy fixed points of random Heisenberg models

The effect of quenched disorder on the low-energy and low-temperature properties of various two- and three-dimensional Heisenberg models is studied by a numerical strong disorder renormalization group method. For strong enough disorder we have identified two relevant fixed points, in which the gap exponent, omega, describing the low-energy tail of the gap distribution, P(Delta) ~ Delta^omega is independent of disorder, the strength of couplings and the value of the spin. The dynamical behavior of non-frustrated random antiferromagnetic models is controlled by a singlet-like fixed point, whereas for frustrated models the fixed point corresponds to a large spin formation and the gap exponent is given by omega ~ 0. Another type of universality classes is observed at quantum critical points and in dimerized phases but no infinite randomness behavior is found, in contrast to one-dimensional models.Comment: 11 pages RevTeX, eps-figs included, language revise

The spin-1/2 J1-J2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square lattice: Exact diagonalization for N=40 spins

We present numerical exact results for the ground state and the low-lying excitations for the spin-1/2 J1-J2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on finite square lattices of up to N=40 sites. Using finite-size extrapolation we determine the ground-state energy, the magnetic order parameters, the spin gap, the uniform susceptibility, as well as the spin-wave velocity and the spin stiffness as functions of the frustration parameter J2/J1. In agreement with the generally excepted scenario we find semiclassical magnetically ordered phases for J2 < J2^{c1} and J2 > J2^{c2} separated by a gapful quantum paramagnetic phase. We estimate J2^{c1} \approx 0.35J1 and J2^{c2} \approx 0.66J1.Comment: 16 pages, 2 tables, 11 figure

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Spin stiffness of frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnets: finite size scaling

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR). Biblioteca Centrale / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal