New quantum phase transitions in the two-dimensional J1-J2 model

We analyze the phase diagram of the frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnet, the J1-J2 model, in two dimensions. Two quantum phase transitions in the model are already known: the second order transition from the Neel state to the spin liquid state at (J_2/J_1)_{c2}=0.38, and the first order transition from the spin liquid state to the collinear state at (J_2/J_1)_{c4}=0.60. We have found evidence for two new second order phase transitions: the transition from the spin columnar dimerized state to the state with plaquette type modulation at (J_2/J_1)_{c3}=0.50(2), and the transition from the simple Neel state to the Neel state with spin columnar dimerization at (J_2/J_1)_{c1}=0.34(4). We also present an independent calculation of (J_2/J_1)_{c2}=0.38 using a new approach.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures; added referenc

Bound states of magnons in the S=1/2 quantum spin ladder

We study the excitation spectrum of the two-leg antiferromagnetic S=1/2 Heisenberg ladder. Our approach is based on the description of the excitations as triplets above a strong-coupling singlet ground state. The quasiparticle spectrum is calculated by treating the excitations as a dilute Bose gas with infinite on-site repulsion. We find singlet (S=0) and triplet (S=1) two-particle bound states of the elementary triplets. We argue that bound states generally exist in any dimerized quantum spin model.Comment: 4 REVTeX pages, 4 Postscript figure

Observation of deconfinement in a cold dense quark medium

In this paper we study the confinement/deconfinement transition in lattice $SU(2)$ QCD at finite quark density and zero temperature. The simulations are performed on an $32^4$ lattice with rooted staggered fermions at a lattice spacing $a = 0.044 \mathrm{~fm}$. This small lattice spacing allowed us to reach very large baryon density (up to quark chemical potential $\mu_q > 2000 \mathrm{~MeV}$) avoiding strong lattice artifacts. In the region $\mu_q\sim 1000 \mathrm{~MeV}$ we observe for the first time the confinement/deconfinement transition which manifests itself in rising of the Polyakov loop and vanishing of the string tension $\sigma$. After the deconfinement is achieved at $\mu_q > 1000 \mathrm{~MeV}$, we observe a monotonous decrease of the spatial string tension $\sigma_s$ which ends up with $\sigma_s$ vanishing at $\mu_q > 2000 \mathrm{~MeV}$. From this observation we draw the conclusion that the confinement/deconfinement transition at finite density and zero temperature is quite different from that at finite temperature and zero density. Our results indicate that in very dense matter the quark-gluon plasma is in essence a weakly interacting gas of quarks and gluons without a magnetic screening mass in the system, sharply different from a quark-gluon plasma at large temperature.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Electron-Electron Interactions in the Vacuum Polarization of Graphene

We discuss the effect of electron-electron interactions on the static polarization properties of graphene beyond RPA. Divergent self-energy corrections are naturally absorbed into the renormalized coupling constant $\alpha$. We find that the lowest order vertex correction, which is the first non-trivial correlation contribution, is finite, and about 30% of the RPA result at strong coupling $\alpha \sim 1$. The vertex correction leads to further reduction of the effective charge. Finite contributions to dielectric screening are expected in all orders of perturbation theory.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; published versio

Excitation spectrum and ground state properties of the S=1/2 Heisenberg ladder with staggered dimerization

We have studied the excitation spectrum of the $S=1/2$ quantum spin ladder with staggered dimerization by dimer series expansions, diagrammatic analysis of an effective interacting Bose gas of local triplets, and exact diagonalization of small clusters. We find that the model has two massive phases, with predominant inter-chain (rung) or intra-chain correlations. The transition from the rung dimer into the intra-chain dimer phase is characterized by softening of the triplet spectrum at $k=\pi$. The excitation spectrum as well as the spin correlations away from and close to the critical line are calculated. The location of the phase boundary is also determined.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Ordering in the pyrochlore antiferromagnet due to Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions

The Heisenberg nearest neighbour antiferromagnet on the pyrochlore (3D) lattice is highly frustrated and does not order at low temperature where spin-spin correlations remain short ranged. Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions (DMI) may be present in pyrochlore compounds as is shown, and the consequences of such interactions on the magnetic properties are investigated through mean field approximation and monte carlo simulations. It is found that DMI (if present) tremendously change the low temperature behaviour of the system. At a temperature of the order of the DMI a phase transition to a long range ordered state takes place. The ordered magnetic structures are explicited for the different possible DMI which are introduced on the basis of symmetry arguments. The relevance of such a scenario for pyrochlore compounds in which an ordered magnetic structure is observed experimentally is dicussed