Doping a Mott insulator with orbital degrees of freedom

We study the effects of hole doping on one-dimensional Mott insulators with orbital degrees of freedom. We describe the system in terms of a generalized t-J model. At a specific point in parameter space the model becomes integrable in analogy to the one-band supersymmetric t-J model. We use the Bethe ansatz to derive a set of nonlinear integral equations which allow us to study the thermodynamics exactly. Moving away from this special point in parameter space we use the density-matrix renormalization group applied to transfer matrices to study the evolution of various phases of the undoped system with doping and temperature. Finally, we study a one-dimensional version of a realistic model for cubic titanates which includes the anisotropy of the orbital sector due to Hund's coupling. We find a transition from a phase with antiferromagnetically correlated spins to a phase where the spins are fully ferromagnetically polarized, a strong tendency towards phase separation at large Hund's coupling, as well as the possibility of an instability towards triplet superconductivity

Thermodynamics of multiferroic spin chains

The minimal model to describe many spin chain materials with ferroelectric properties is the Heisenberg model with ferromagnetic nearest neighbor coupling J1 and antiferromagnetic next-nearest neighbor coupling J2. Here we study the thermodynamics of this model using a density-matrix algorithm applied to transfer matrices. We find that the incommensurate spin-spin correlations - crucial for the ferroelectric properties and the analogue of the classical spiral pitch angle - depend not only on the ratio J2/|J1| but also strongly on temperature. We study small easy-plane anisotropies which can stabilize a vector chiral order as well as the finite-temperature signatures of multipolar phases, stable at finite magnetic field. Furthermore, we fit the susceptibilities of LiCuVO4, LiCu2O2, and Li2ZrCuO4. Contrary to the literature, we find that for LiCuVO4 the best fit is obtained with J2 ~ 90 K and J2/|J1| ~ 0.5 and show that these values are consistent with the observed spin incommensurability. Finally, we discuss our findings concerning the incommensurate spin-spin correlations and multipolar orders in relation to future experiments on these compounds.Comment: 10 pages, Fig. 1 modified + other minor change

Effects of Two Energy Scales in Weakly Dimerized Antiferromagnetic Quantum Spin Chains

By means of thermal expansion and specific heat measurements on the high-pressure phase of (VO)$_2$P$_2$O$_7$, the effects of two energy scales of the weakly dimerized antiferromagnetic $S$ = 1/2 Heisenberg chain are explored. The low energy scale, given by the spin gap $\Delta$, is found to manifest itself in a pronounced thermal expansion anomaly. A quantitative analysis, employing T-DMRG calculations, shows that this feature originates from changes in the magnetic entropy with respect to $\Delta$, $\partial S^{m}/ \partial \Delta$. This term, inaccessible by specific heat, is visible only in the weak-dimerization limit where it reflects peculiarities of the excitation spectrum and its sensitivity to variations in $\Delta$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures now identical with finally published versio

Thermally activated Peierls dimerization in ferromagnetic spin chains

We demonstrate that a Peierls dimerization can occur in ferromagnetic spin chains activated by thermal fluctuations. The dimer order parameter and entanglement measures are studied as functions of the modulation of the magnetic exchange interaction and temperature, using a spin-wave theory and the density-matrix renormalization group. We discuss the case where a periodic modulation is caused by spin-phonon coupling and the case where electronic states effectively induce such a modulation. The importance of the latter for a number of transition metal oxides is highlighted.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Dynamical correlation functions of the XXZ model at finite temperature

Combining a lattice path integral formulation for thermodynamics with the solution of the quantum inverse scattering problem for local spin operators, we derive a multiple integral representation for the time-dependent longitudinal correlation function of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg XXZ chain at finite temperature and in an external magnetic field. Our formula reproduces the previous results in the following three limits: the static, the zero-temperature and the XY limits.Comment: 22 pages, v4: typos corrected, published versio

Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria

The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe witnessed the replacement and partial absorption of local Neanderthal populations by Homo sapiens populations of African origin. However, this process probably varied across regions and its details remain largely unknown. In particular, the duration of chronological overlap between the two groups is much debated, as are the implications of this overlap for the nature of the biological and cultural interactions between Neanderthals and H. sapiens. Here we report the discovery and direct dating of human remains found in association with Initial Upper Palaeolithic artefacts, from excavations at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria). Morphological analysis of a tooth and mitochondrial DNA from several hominin bone fragments, identified through proteomic screening, assign these finds to H. sapiens and link the expansion of Initial Upper Palaeolithic technologies with the spread of H. sapiens into the mid-latitudes of Eurasia before 45 thousand years ago. The excavations yielded a wealth of bone artefacts, including pendants manufactured from cave bear teeth that are reminiscent of those later produced by the last Neanderthals of western Europe. These finds are consistent with models based on the arrival of multiple waves of H. sapiens into Europe coming into contact with declining Neanderthal populations