549 research outputs found
Quantum disorder versus order-out-of-disorder in the Kugel-Khomskii model
The Kugel-Khomskii model, the simplest model for orbital degenerate magnetic
insulators, exhibits a zero temperature degeneracy in the classical limit which
could cause genuine quantum disorder. Khaliullin and Oudovenko [Phys. Rev. B
56, R14 243 (1997)] suggested recently that instead a particular classical
state could be stabilized by quantum fluctuations. Here we compare their
approach with standard random phase approximation and show that it strongly
underestimates the strength of the quantum fluctuations, shedding doubts on the
survival of any classical state.Comment: 4 pages, ReVTeX, 4 figure
Spin and orbital excitation spectrum in the Kugel-Khomskii model
We discuss spin and orbital ordering in the twofold orbital degenerate
superexchange model in three dimensions relevant to perovskite transition metal
oxides. We focus on the particular point on the classical phase diagram where
orbital degeneracy is lifted by quantum effects exclusively. Dispersion and
damping of the spin and orbital excitations are calculated at this point taking
into account their mutual interaction. Interaction corrections to the
mean-field order parameters are found to be small. We conclude that
quasi-one-dimensional Neel spin order accompanied by the uniform
d_{3z^2-r^2}-type orbital ordering is stable against quantum fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages with 3 PS figures, 1 table, RevTeX, accepted to Phys. Rev. B.
Rapid Communicatio
Non-perturbative corrections to mean-field behavior: spherical model on spider-web graph
We consider the spherical model on a spider-web graph. This graph is
effectively infinite-dimensional, similar to the Bethe lattice, but has loops.
We show that these lead to non-trivial corrections to the simple mean-field
behavior. We first determine all normal modes of the coupled springs problem on
this graph, using its large symmetry group. In the thermodynamic limit, the
spectrum is a set of -functions, and all the modes are localized. The
fractional number of modes with frequency less than varies as for tending to zero, where is a constant. For an
unbiased random walk on the vertices of this graph, this implies that the
probability of return to the origin at time varies as ,
for large , where is a constant. For the spherical model, we show that
while the critical exponents take the values expected from the mean-field
theory, the free-energy per site at temperature , near and above the
critical temperature , also has an essential singularity of the type
.Comment: substantially revised, a section adde
Spin-Orbital Entanglement and Violation of the Goodenough-Kanamori Rules
We point out that large composite spin-orbital fluctuations in Mott
insulators with orbital degeneracy are a manifestation of quantum
entanglement of spin and orbital variables. This results in a dynamical nature
of the spin superexchange interactions, which fluctuate over positive and
negative values, and leads to an apparent violation of the Goodenough-Kanamori
rules. [{\it Published in Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 96}, 147205 (2006).}]Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Orbital order out of spin disorder: How to measure the orbital gap
The interplay between spin and orbital degrees of freedom in the Mott-Hubbard
insulator is studied by considering an orbitally degenerate superexchange
model. We argue that orbital order and the orbital excitation gap in this model
are generated through the order-from-disorder mechanism known previously from
frustrated spin models. We propose that the orbital gap should show up
indirectly in the dynamical spin structure factor; it can therefore be measured
using the conventional inelastic neutron scattering method
Damped orbital excitations in the titanates
A possible mechanism for the removal of the orbital degeneracy in RTiO3
(where R=La, Y, ...) is considered. The calculation is based on the
Kugel-Khomskii Hamiltonian for electrons residing in the t2g orbitals of the Ti
ions, and uses a self-consistent pe rturbation expansion in the interaction
between the orbital and the spin degrees of freedom. The latter are assumed to
be ordered in a Neel state, brought about by delicate interactions that are not
included in the Kugel-Khomskii Hamiltonian. Within our model calculations, each
of the t2g bands is found to acquire a finite, temperature-dependent
dispersion, that lifts the orbital degeneracy. The orbital excitations are
found to be heavily damped over a rather wide band. Consequently, they do not
participate as a separate branch of excitations in the low-temperature
thermodynamics.eComment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Order from disorder: Quantum spin gap in magnon spectra of LaTiO_3
A theory of the anisotropic superexchange and low energy spin excitations in
a Mott insulator with t_{2g} orbital degeneracy is presented. We observe that
the spin-orbit coupling induces frustrating Ising-like anisotropy terms in the
spin Hamiltonian, which invalidate noninteracting spin wave theory. The
frustration of classical states is resolved by an order from disorder
mechanism, which selects a particular direction of the staggered moment and
generates a quantum spin gap. The theory explains well the observed magnon gaps
in LaTiO_3. As a test case, a specific prediction is made on the splitting of
magnon branches at certain momentum directions.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, final versio
Orbital liquid in three dimensional Mott insulator:
We present a theory of spin and orbital states in Mott insulator .
The spin-orbital superexchange interaction between ions in cubic
crystal suffers from a pathological degeneracy of orbital states at classical
level. Quantum effects remove this degeneracy and result in the formation of
the coherent ground state, in which the orbital moment of level is
fully quenched. We find a finite gap for orbital excitations. Such a disordered
state of local degrees of freedom on unfrustrated, simple cubic lattice is
highly unusual. Orbital liquid state naturally explains observed anomalies of
.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Orbital dynamics in ferromagnetic transition metal oxides
We consider a model of strongly correlated electrons interacting by
superexchange orbital interactions in the ferromagnetic phase of LaMnO. It
is found that the classical orbital order with alternating occupied
orbitals has a full rotational symmetry at orbital degeneracy, and the
excitation spectrum derived using the linear spin-wave theory is gapless. The
quantum (fluctuation) corrections to the order parameter and to the ground
state energy restore the cubic symmetry of the model. By applying a uniaxial
pressure orbital degeneracy is lifted in a tetragonal field and one finds an
orbital-flop phase with a gap in the excitation spectrum. In two dimensions the
classical order is more robust near the orbital degeneracy point and quantum
effects are suppressed. The orbital excitation spectra obtained using finite
temperature diagonalization of two-dimensional clusters consist of a
quasiparticle accompanied by satellite structures. The orbital waves found
within the linear spin-wave theory provide an excellent description of the
dominant pole of these spectra.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Microscopic modelling of doped manganites
Colossal magneto-resistance manganites are characterised by a complex
interplay of charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom. Formulating
microscopic models for these compounds aims at meeting to conflicting
objectives: sufficient simplification without excessive restrictions on the
phase space. We give a detailed introduction to the electronic structure of
manganites and derive a microscopic model for their low energy physics.
Focussing on short range electron-lattice and spin-orbital correlations we
supplement the modelling with numerical simulations.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figs, accepted for publ. in New J. Phys., Focus issue on
Orbital Physic
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