Spin-Nematic and Spin-Density-Wave Orders in Spatially Anisotropic Frustrated Magnets in a Magnetic Field

We develop a microscopic theory of finite-temperature spin-nematic orderings in three-dimensional spatially anisotropic magnets consisting of weakly-coupled frustrated spin-1/2 chains with nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor couplings in a magnetic field. Combining a field theoretical technique with density-matrix renormalization group results, we complete finite-temperature phase diagrams in a wide magnetic-field range that possess spin-bond-nematic and incommensurate spin-density-wave ordered phases. The effects of a four-spin interaction are also studied. The relevance of our results to quasi-one-dimensional edge-shared cuprate magnets such as LiCuVO4 is discussed.Comment: 5 pages (2 column version), 4 figures, Revtex, published versio

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

Magnetization plateaus as insulator-superfluid transitions in quantum spin systems

We study the magnetization process in two-dimensional S=1/2 spin systems, to discuss the appearance of a plateau structure. The following three cases are considered: (1) the Heisenberg antiferromagnet and multiple-spin exchange model on the triangular lattice, (2) Shastry-Sutherland type lattice, [which is a possible model for SrCu2(BO3)2,] (3) 1/5-depleted lattice (for CaV4O9). We find in these systems that magnetization plateaus can appear owing to a transition from superfluid to a Mott insulator of magnetic excitations. The plateau states have CDW order of the excitations. The magnetizations of the plateaus depend on components of the magnetic excitations, range of the repulsive interaction, and the geometry of the lattice.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX, 7 figures, note and reference adde

Instability of isolated triplet excitations on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice (SSL)

Configurations of singlets and triplets on the SSL have been proposed in the literature as variational ground states of the Shastry-Sutherland model at fixed magnetization M. We prove, that isolated triplet excitations on the SSL are unstable if the coupling alpha falls below a critical value alpha_c=2.0 (approx.). The instability should be visible in the compound SrCu_2(BO_3)_2 where a coupling alpha^*=1.48 is realized.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, RevTe

Spin-Wave Theory of the Multiple-Spin Exchange Model on a Triangular Lattice in a Magnetic Field : 3-Sublattice Structures

We study the spin wave in the S=1/2 multiple-spin exchange model on a triangular lattice in a magnetic field within the linear spin-wave theory. We take only two-, three- and four-spin exchange interactions into account and restrict ourselves to the region where a coplanar three-sublattice state is the mean-field ground state. We found that the Y-shape ground state survives quantum fluctuations and the phase transition to a phase with a 6-sublattice structure occurs with softening of the spin wave. We estimated the quantum corrections to the ground state sublattice magnetizations due to zero-point spin-wave fluctuations.Comment: 8 pages, 20 figure

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

Low-Lying Magnetic Excitation of the Shastry-Sutherland Model

By using perturbation calculation and numerical diagonalization, low-energy spin dynamics of the Shastry-Sutherland model is investigated paying particular attention to the two-particle coherent motion. In addition to spin-singlet- and triplet bound states, we find novel branches of coherent motion of a bound quintet pair, which are usually unstable because of repulsion. Unusual dispersion observed in neutron-scattering measurements are explained by the present theory. The importance of the effects of phonon is also pointed out.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures combined into 1 PSfile. Final version to appear in Phys.Rev.Lett. (Jan. 2000