| Abstract: | The ground-state and thermodynamic properties of quantum mixed-spin chains of1/2-1/2-1-1and 3/2-3/2-1-1are investigated by a quantum Monte Carlo simulation with the loop-cluster algorithm. For 1/2-1/2-1-1 chain, we find it has two phases separated by an energy-gap vanishing point in the ground-state. For 3/2-3/2-1-1 chain, the numerical results show two energy-gap vanishing points isolated by different phases in its ground-state. Our calculations indicate that all these ground state phases can be understood by means of valence-bond-solid picture, and the thermodynamic behavior at finite temperatures is continuous as a function of parameterα=J2/J1. |
