Field and temperature dependence of the NMR relaxation rate in the magnetic quadrupolar liquid phase of spin-1/2 frustrated ferromagnetic chains

It is generally difficult to experimentally distinguish magnetic multipolar orders in spin systems. Recently, it was proposed that the temperature dependence of the nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation rate 1/T_1 can involve an indirect, but clear signature of the field-induced spin nematic or multipolar Tomonaga-Luttinger (TL) liquid phase [Phys. Rev. B79, 060406(R) (2009)]. In this paper, we evaluate accurately the field and temperature dependence of 1/T_1 in spin-1/2 frustrated J1-J2 chains combining field-theoretical techniques with numerical data. Our results demonstrate that isotherms of 1/T_1 as a function of magnetic field also exhibit distinctive non-monotonic behavior in spin nematic TL liquid, in contrast with the standard TL liquid in the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain. The relevance of our results to quasi one-dimensional edge-sharing cuprate magnets, such as LiCuVO4, is discussed.Comment: 11 pages (2 column), 5 figures, published versio

Vector chiral and multipolar orders in the spin-1/2 frustrated ferromagnetic chain in magnetic field

We study the one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with competing ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor J_1 and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor J_2 exchange couplings in the presence of magnetic field. We use both numerical approaches (the density matrix renormalization group method and exact diagonalization) and effective field-theory approach, and obtain the ground-state phase diagram for wide parameter range of the coupling ratio J_1/J_2. The phase diagram is rich and has a variety of phases, including the vector chiral phase, the nematic phase, and other multipolar phases. In the vector chiral phase, which appears in relatively weak magnetic field, the ground state exhibits long-range order (LRO) of vector chirality which spontaneously breaks a parity symmetry. The nematic phase shows a quasi-LRO of antiferro-nematic spin correlation, and arises as a result of formation of two-magnon bound states in high magnetic fields. Similarly, the higher multipolar phases, such as triatic (p=3) and quartic (p=4) phases, are formed through binding of p magnons near the saturation fields, showing quasi-LRO of antiferro-multipolar spin correlations. The multipolar phases cross over to spin density wave phases as the magnetic field is decreased, before encountering a phase transition to the vector chiral phase at a lower field. The implications of our results to quasi-one-dimensional frustrated magnets (e.g., LiCuVO_4) are discussed.Comment: v1. 20 pages, 18 figures: v2: 21 pages, 19 figures, Title modified slightly. Some references, Fig.16, and a note are added. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Magnetic phase diagram of the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic zigzag ladder

We study the one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg model with antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor J_1 and next-nearest-neighbor J_2 exchange couplings in magnetic field h. With varying dimensionless parameters J_2/J_1 and h/J_1, the ground state of the model exhibits several phases including three gapped phases (dimer, 1/3-magnetization plateau, and fully polarized phases) and four types of gapless Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) phases which we dub TLL1, TLL2, spin-density-wave (SDW_2), and vector chiral phases. From extensive numerical calculations using the density-matrix renormalization-group method, we investigate various (multiple-)spin correlation functions in detail, and determine dominant and subleading correlations in each phase. For the one-component TLLs, i.e., the TLL1, SDW_2, and vector chiral phases, we fit the numerically obtained correlation functions to those calculated from effective low-energy theories of TLLs, and find good agreement between them. The low-energy theory for each critical TLL phase is thus identified, together with TLL parameters which control the exponents of power-law decaying correlation functions. For the TLL2 phase, we develop an effective low-energy theory of two-component TLL consisting of two free bosons (central charge c=1+1), which explains numerical results of entanglement entropy and Friedel oscillations of local magnetization. Implications of our results to possible magnetic phase transitions in real quasi-one-dimensional compounds are also discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures. v2: published versio

Duality relations and exotic orders in electronic ladder systems

We discuss duality relations in correlated electronic ladder systems to clarify mutual relations between various conventional and unconventional phases. For the generalized two-leg Hubbard ladder, we find two exact duality relations, and also one asymptotic relation which holds in the low-energy regime. These duality relations show that unconventional (exotic) density-wave orders such as staggered flux or circulating spin-current are directly mapped to conventional density-wave orders, which establishes the appearance of various exotic states with time-reversal and/or spin symmetry breaking. We also study duality relations in the SO(5) symmetry that was proposed to unify antiferromagnetism and d-wave superconductivity. We show that the same SO(5) symmetry also unifies circulating spin current order and s-wave superconductivity.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; Proceedings of SPQS2004 (Sendai

Quantum fluctuations in quantum lattice-systems with continuous symmetry

We discuss conditions for the absence of spontaneous breakdown of continuous symmetries in quantum lattice systems at $T=0$. Our analysis is based on Pitaevskii and Stringari's idea that the uncertainty relation can be employed to show quantum fluctuations. For the one-dimensional systems, it is shown that the ground state is invariant under the continuous transformation if a certain uniform susceptibility is finite. For the two- and three-dimensional systems, it is shown that truncated correlation functions cannot decay any more rapidly than $|r|^{-d+1}$ whenever the continuous symmetry is spontaneously broken. Both of these phenomena occur owing to quantum fluctuations. Our theorems cover a wide class of quantum lattice-systems having not-too-long-range interactions.Comment: 14 pages. To appear in J.Stat.Phy

Generalised Shastry-Sutherland Models in three and higher dimensions

We construct Heisenberg anti-ferromagnetic models in arbitrary dimensions that have isotropic valence bond crystals (VBC) as their exact ground states. The d=2 model is the Shastry-Sutherland model. In the 3-d case we show that it is possible to have a lattice structure, analogous to that of SrCu_2(BO_3)_2, where the stronger bonds are associated with shorter bond lengths. A dimer mean field theory becomes exact at d -> infinity and a systematic 1/d expansion can be developed about it. We study the Neel-VBC transition at large d and find that the transition is first order in even but second order in odd dimensions.Comment: Published version; slightly expande

Multi-Triplet Magnons in SrCu2_2(BO3_3)2_2 Studied by Thermal Conductivity Measurements in Magnetic Fields

We have measured the thermal conductivity parallel to the a-axis of the Zn-free and 1% Zn-substituted SrCu$_{2-x}$Zn$_x$(BO$_3$)$_2$ in magnetic fields up to 14 T, in order to examine the thermal conductivity due to the multi-triplet magnons. It has been found that the thermal conductivity peak observed in the spin gap state is suppressed by the substitution of Zn for Cu in high magnetic fields above 6 T, while it is not changed in low magnetic fields below 6 T. The results suggest that the thermal conductivity peak in the spin-gap state of SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ is composed of not only thermal conductivity due to phonons but also that due to the multi-triplet magnons in high fields above 6 T.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure