Thermodynamic properties of the coupled dimer system Cu2_2(C5_5H12_{12}N2_2)2_2Cl4_4

We re-examine the thermodynamic properties of the coupled dimer system Cu$_2$(C$_5$H$_{12}$N$_2$)$_2$Cl$_4$ under magnetic field in the light of recent NMR experiments [Cl\'emancey {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 97}, 167204 (2006)] suggesting the existence of a finite Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. We show that including such a spin anisotropy greatly improves the fit of the magnetization curve and gives the correct trend of the insofar unexplained anomalous behavior of the specific heat in magnetic field at low temperature.Comment: published version with minor change

Contractor-Renormalization approach to frustrated magnets in magnetic field

We propose to use the Contractor Renormalization (CORE) technique in order to derive effective models for quantum magnets in a magnetic field. CORE is a powerful non-perturbative technique that can reduce the complexity of a given microscopic model by focusing on the low-energy part. We provide a detailed analysis of frustrated spin ladders which have been widely studied in the past: in particular, we discuss how to choose the building block and emphasize the use of their reduced density matrix. With a good choice of basis, CORE is able to reproduce the existence or not of magnetization plateaux in the whole phase diagram contrary to usual perturbation theory. We also address the issue of plateau formation in two-dimensional bilayers and point out the analogy between non-frustrated strongly anisotropic models and frustrated SU(2) ones.Comment: 13 pages, 20 figures; published version with minor change

Effective Theory of Magnetization Plateaux in the Shastry-Sutherland Lattice

We use the non-perturbative Contractor-Renormalization method (CORE) in order to derive an effective model for triplet excitations on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice. For strong enough magnetic fields, various magnetization plateaux are observed, e.g. at 1/8, 1/4, 1/3 of the saturation, as found experimentally in a related compound. Moreover, other stable plateaux are found at 1/9, 1/6 or 2/9. We give a critical review of previous works and try to resolve some apparent inconsistencies between various theoretical approaches.Comment: published version with minor change

Quantum phase transitions in multileg spin ladders with ring exchange

Four-spin exchange interaction has been raising intriguing questions regarding the exotic phase transitions it induces in two-dimensional quantum spin systems. In this context, we investigate the effects of a cyclic four-spin exchange in the quasi-1D limit by considering a general N-leg spin ladder. We show by means of a low-energy approach that, depending on its sign, this ring exchange interaction can engender either a staggered or a uniform dimerization from the conventional phases of spin ladders. The resulting quantum phase transition is found to be described by the SU(2)_N conformal field theory. This result, as well as the fractional value of the central charge at the transition, is further confirmed by a large-scale numerical study performed by means of Exact Diagonalization and Density Matrix Renormalization Group approaches for N \le 4

Finite Size Scaling of the Spin Stiffness of the Antiferromagnetic S=1/2 XXZ chain

We study the finite size scaling of the spin stiffness for the one-dimensional s=1/2 quantum antiferromagnet as a function of the anisotropy parameter Delta.Previous Bethe ansatz results allow a determination of the stiffness in the thermodynamic limit. The Bethe ansatz equations for finite systems are solvable even in the presence of twisted boundary conditions, a fact we exploit to determine the stiffness exactly for finite systems allowing for a complete determination of the finite size corrections. Relating the stiffness to thermodynamic quantities we calculate the temperature dependence of the susceptibility and its finite size corrections at T=0. A Luttinger liquid approach is used to study the finite size corrections using renormalization group techniques and the results are compared to the numerically exact results obtained using the Bethe ansatz equations. Both irrelevant and marginally irrelevant cases are considered

Dynamical dimer correlations at bipartite and non-bipartite Rokhsar-Kivelson points

We determine the dynamical dimer correlation functions of quantum dimer models at the Rokhsar-Kivelson point on the bipartite square and cubic lattices and the non-bipartite triangular lattice. Based on an algorithmic idea by Henley, we simulate a stochastic process of classical dimer configurations in continuous time and perform a stochastic analytical continuation to obtain the dynamical correlations in momentum space and the frequency domain. This approach allows us to observe directly the dispersion relations and the evolution of the spectral intensity within the Brillouin zone beyond the single-mode approximation. On the square lattice, we confirm analytical predictions related to soft modes close to the wavevectors (pi,pi) and (pi,0) and further reveal the existence of shadow bands close to the wavevector (0,0). On the cubic lattice the spectrum is also gapless but here only a single soft mode at (pi,pi,pi) is found, as predicted by the single mode approximation. The soft mode has a quadratic dispersion at very long wavelength, but crosses over to a linear behavior very rapidly. We believe this to be the remnant of the linearly dispersing "photon" of the Coulomb phase. Finally the triangular lattice is in a fully gapped liquid phase where the bottom of the dimer spectrum exhibits a rich structure. At the M point the gap is minimal and the spectral response is dominated by a sharp quasiparticle peak. On the other hand, at the X point the spectral function is much broader. We sketch a possible explanation based on the crossing of the coherent dimer excitations into the two-vison continuum.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, published versio

Breathers and Raman scattering in a two-leg ladder with staggered Dzialoshinskii-Moriya interaction

Recent experiments have revealed the role of staggered Dzialoshinskii-Moriya interaction in the magnetized phase of an antiferromagnetic spin 1/2 two-leg ladder compound under a uniform magnetic field. We derive a low energy effective field theory describing a magnetized two-leg ladder with a weak staggered Dzialoshinskii-Moriya interaction. This theory predicts the persistence of the spin gap in the magnetized phase, in contrast to standard two-leg ladders, and the presence of bound states in the excitation spectrum. Such bound states are observable in Raman scattering measurements. These results are then extended to intermediate Dzialoshinskii-Moriya interaction using Exact Diagonalizations.Comment: RevTeX 4, 14 pages, 11 EPS figure

Combined analytical and numerical approach to magnetization plateaux in one-dimensional spin tube antiferromagnets

In this paper, we investigate the properties of frustrated three-leg spin tubes under a magnetic field. We concentrate on two kind of geometries for these tubes, one of which is relevant for the compound $\mathrm{[(CuCl_2tachH)_3Cl]Cl_2}$. We combine an analytical path integral approach with a strong coupling approach, as well as large-scale Density Matrix Renormalization Groups (DMRG) simulations, to identify the presence of plateaux in the magnetization curve as a function of the value of spin $S$. We also investigate the issue of gapless non-magnetic excitations on some plateaux, dubbed chirality degrees of freedom for both tubes.Comment: 17 page