On evaluation of transverse spin fluctuations in quantum magnets

A numerical method is described for evaluating transverse spin correlations in the random phase approximation. Quantum spin-fluctuation corrections to sublattice magnetization are evaluated for the antiferromagnetic ground state of the half-filled Hubbard model in two and three dimensions in the whole U/t range. Extension to the case of defects in the AF is also discussed for spin vacancies and low-U impurities. In the limit, the vacancy-induced enhancement in the spin fluctuation correction is obtained for the spin-vacancy problem in two dimensions, for vacancy concentration up to the percolation threshold. For low-U impurities, the overall spin fluctuation correction is found to be strongly suppressed, although surprisingly spin fluctuations are locally enhanced at the low-U sites. Received 27 April 1998 and Received in final form 13 August 1998     

A numerical study of the formation of magnetisation plateaus in quasi one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg models

We study the magnetisation process of the one-dimensional spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with modulated couplings over j=1,2,3sites. It turns out that the evolution of magnetisation plateaus depends on j and on the wave number q of the modulation according to the rule of Oshikawa et al. A mapping of two- and three-leg zig-zag ladders on one-dimensional systems with modulated couplings yields predictions for the occurrence of magnetization plateaus. The latter are tested by numerical computations with the DMRG algorithm. Received 14 October 1999 and Received in final form 6 January 2000     

Finite-size-scaling analyses of the chiral ordert in the Josephson-junction ladder with half a flux quantum per plaquette

Chiral order of the Josephson-junction ladder with half a flux quantum per plaquette is studied by means of the exact diagonalization method. We consider an extreme quantum limit where each superconductor grain (order parameter) is represented by S=1/2 spin. So far, the semi-classical case, where each spin reduces to a plane rotator, has been considered extensively. We found that in the case of S=1/2, owing to the strong quantum fluctuations, the chiral (vortex lattice) order becomes dissolved except in a region, where attractive intrachain and, to our surprise, repulsive interchain interactions both exist. On the contrary, for considerably wide range of parameters, the superconductor (XY) order is kept critical. The present results are regarded as a demonstration of the critical phase accompanying chiral-symmetry breaking predicted for frustrated XXZ chain field-theoretically. Received 20 February 2000     

Quantum rotors with regular frustration and the quantum Lifshitz point

We have discussed the zero-temperature quantum phase transition in n-component quantum rotor Hamiltonian in the presence of regular frustration in the interaction. The phase diagram consists of ferromagnetic, helical and quantum paramagnetic phase, where the ferro-para and the helical-para phase boundary meets at a multicritical point called a (d,m) quantum Lifshitz point where (d,m) indicates that the m of the d spatial dimensions incorporate frustration. We have studied the Hamiltonian in the vicinity of the quantum Lifshitz point in the spherical limit and also studied the renormalisation group flow behaviour using standard momentum space renormalisation technique (for finite n). In the spherical limit ()one finds that the helical phase does not exist in the presence of any nonvanishing quantum fluctuation for m =d though the quantum Lifshitz point exists for all d > 1+m/2, and the upper critical dimensionality is given by d _u = 3 +m/2. The scaling behaviour in the neighbourhood of a quantum Lifshitz point in d dimensions is consistent with the behaviour near the classical Lifshitz point in (d+z) dimensions. The dynamical exponent of the quantum Hamiltonian z is unity in the case of anisotropic Lifshitz point (d>m) whereas z=2 in the case of isotropic Lifshitz point (d=m). We have evaluated all the exponents using the renormalisation flow equations along-with the scaling relations near the quantum Lifshitz point. We have also obtained the exponents in the spherical limit (). It has also been shown that the exponents in the spherical model are all related to those of the corresponding Gaussian model by Fisher renormalisation. Received: 23 December 1997 / Received in final form: 6 January 1998 / Accepted: 7 January 1998     

Reparametrization invariance: a gauge-like symmetry of ultrametrically organised states

The reparametrization transformation between ultrametrically organised states of replicated disordered systems is explicitly defined. The invariance of the longitudinal free energy under this transformation, i.e. reparametrization invariance, is shown to be a direct consequence of the higher level symmetry of replica equivalence. The double limit of infinite step replica symmetry breaking and is needed to derive this continuous gauge-like symmetry from the discrete permutation invariance of the n replicas. Goldstone's theorem and Ward identities can be deduced from the disappearance of the second (and higher order) variation of the longitudinal free energy. We recall also how these and other exact statements follow from permutation symmetry after introducing the concept of “infinitesimal" permutations. Received 21 July 2000     

Low temperature thermodynamics of inverse square spin models in one dimension

We present a field-theoretic renormalization group calculation in two loop order for classical O(N)-models with an inverse square interaction in the vicinity of their lower critical dimensionality one. The magnetic susceptibility at low temperatures is shown to diverge like with a=(N-2)/(N-1) and . From a comparison with the exactly solvable Haldane-Shastry model we find that the same temperature dependence applies also to ferromagnetic quantum spin chains. Received: 20 February 1998 / Revised: 27 April 1998 / Accepted: 30 April 1998     

Metastable states of spin glasses on random thin graphs

In this paper we calculate the mean number of metastable states for spin glasses on so called random thin graphs with couplings taken from a symmetric binary distribution . Thin graphs are graphs where the local connectivity of each site is fixed to some value c. As in totally connected mean field models we find that the number of metastable states increases exponentially with the system size. Furthermore we find that the average number of metastable states decreases as c in agreement with previous studies showing that finite connectivity corrections of order 1/c increase the number of metastable states with respect to the totally connected mean field limit. We also prove that the average number of metastable states in the limit is finite and converges to the average number of metastable states in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. An annealed calculation for the number of metastable states of energy E is also carried out giving a lower bound on the ground state energy of these spin glasses. For small c one may obtain analytic expressions for . Received 14 October 1999 and Received in final form 14 December 1999     

Quantum XY spin glass model with planar Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in longitudinal field

In the replica symmetric approximation and static limit in Matsubara “imaginary time”, the quantum XY spin glass model with planar Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in longitudinal field is investigated. Several thermodynamic quantities are calculated numerically as well as spin self-interaction and spin glass order parameter for spin S=1/2. It is shown that the entropy is not independent of the field. A crossover behavior of the specific heat depending on temperature is found. There is a deviation from the parabolic approximation, C/T=A+Bh ² . Received 11 March 1998     

Model glasses coupled to two different heat baths

In a p-spin interaction spherical spin-glass model both the spins and the couplings are allowed to change with time. The spins are coupled to a heat bath with temperature T, while the coupling constants are coupled to a bath having temperature T_J. In an adiabatic limit (where relaxation time of the couplings is much larger that of the spins) we construct a generalized two-temperature thermodynamics. It involves entropies of the spins and the coupling constants. The application for spin-glass systems leads to a standard replica theory with a non-vanishing number of replicas, n=T/T _J . For p>2 there occur at low temperatures two different glassy phases, depending on the value of n. The obtained first-order transitions have positive latent heat, and positive discontinuity of the total entropy. This is an essentially non-equilibrium effect. The dynamical phase transition exists only for n<1. For p=2 correlation of the disorder (leading to a non-zero n) removes the known marginal stability of the spin glass phase. If the observation time is very large there occurs no finite-temperature spin glass phase. In this case there are analogies with the non-equilibrium (aging) dynamics. A generalized fluctuation-dissipation relation is derived. Received 12 July 1999 and Received in final form 8 December 1999     

Plaquette ground state in the two-dimensional SU(4) spin-orbital model

In order to understand the properties of Mott insulators with strong ground state orbital fluctuations, we study the zero temperature properties of the SU(4) spin-orbital model on a square lattice. Exact diagonalizations of finite clusters suggest that the ground state is disordered with a singlet-multiplet gap and possibly low-lying SU(4) singlets in the gap. An interpretation in terms of plaquette SU(4) singlets is proposed. The implications for LiNiO₂ are discussed. Received 6 July 2000     

Quasiclassical Hamiltonians for large-spin systems

We extend and apply a previously developed method for a semiclassical treatment of a system with large spin S. A multisite Heisenberg Hamiltonian is transformed into an effective classical Hamilton function which can be treated by standard methods for classical systems. Quantum effects enter in form of multispin interactions in the Hamilton function. The latter is written in the form of an expansion in powers of J/(TS), where J is the coupling constant. Main ingredients of our method are spin coherent states and cumulants. Rules and diagrams are derived for computing cumulants of groups of operators entering the Hamiltonian. The theory is illustrated by calculating the quantum corrections to the free energy of a Heisenberg chain which were previously computed by a Wigner-Kirkwood expansion. Received 5 May 1999 and received in final form 24 September 1999     

Turbo codes: the phase transition

Turbo codes are a very efficient method for communicating reliably through a noisy channel. There is no theoretical understanding of their effectiveness. In reference [1] they are mapped onto a class of disordered spin models. The analytical calculations concerning these models are reported here. We prove the existence of a no-error phase and compute its local stability threshold. As a byproduct, we gain some insight into the dynamics of the decoding algorithm. Received 14 March 2000     

Some exact results on the ultrametric overlap distribution in mean field spin glass models (I)

The mean field spin glass model is analyzed by a combination of exact methods and a simple Ansatz. The method exploited is general, and can be applied to others disordered mean field models such as, e.g., neural networks. It is well known that the probability measure of overlaps among replicas carries the whole physical content of these models. A functional order parameter of Parisi type is introduced by rigorous methods, according to previous works by F. Guerra. By the Ansatz that the functional order parameter is the correct order parameter of the model, we explicitly find the full overlap distribution. The physical interpretation of the functional order parameter is obtained, and ultrametricity of overlaps is derived as a natural consequence of a branching diffusion process. It is shown by explicit construction that ultrametricity of the 3-replicas overlap distribution together with the Ghirlanda-Guerra relations determines the distribution of overlaps among s replicas, for any s, in terms of the one-overlap distribution. Received 14 February 2000     

Suppression of antiferromagnetic correlations by quenched dipole-type impurities

The effects of quenched dipole moments on a two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet are found exactly, by applying the renormalization group to the appropriate classical non-linear sigma model. Such dipole moments represent random fields with power law correlations. At low temperatures, they also represent the long range effects of quenched random strong ferromagnetic bonds on the antiferromagnetic correlation length, , of a two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet. It is found that the antiferromagnetic long range order is destroyed for any non-zero concentration, x, of the dipolar defects, even at zero temperature. Below a line , where T is the temperature, is independent of T, and decreases exponentially with x. At higher temperatures, it decays exponentially with , with an effective stiffness constant , which decreases with increasing x/T. The latter behavior is the same as for annealed dipole moments, and we use our quenched results to interpolate between the two types of averaging for the problem of ferromagnetic bonds in an antiferromagnet. The results are used to estimate the three-dimensional Néel temperature of a lamellar system with weakly coupled planes, which decays linearly with x at small concentrations, and drops precipitously at a critical concentration. These predictions are shown to reproduce successfully several of the prominent features of experiments on slightly doped copper oxides. Received 22 October 1998     

Aging and non-linear glassy dynamics in a mean field model

The mean field approach of glassy dynamics successfully describes systems which are out-of-equilibrium in their low temperature phase. In some cases an aging behaviour is found, with no stationary regime ever reached. In the presence of dissipative forces however, the dynamics is indeed stationary, but still out-of-equilibrium, as inferred by a significant violation of the fluctuation dissipation theorem. The mean field dynamics of a particle in a random but short-range correlated environment, offers the opportunity of observing both the aging and driven stationary regimes. Using a geometrical approach previously introduced by the author, we study here the relation between these two situations, in the pure relaxational limit, i.e. the zero temperature case. In the stationary regime, the velocity (v)-force (F) characteristics is a power law v∼F ⁴, while the characteristic times scale like powers of v, in agreement with an early proposal by Horner. The cross-over between the aging, linear-response regime and the non-linear stationary regime is smooth, and we propose a parametrization of the correlation functions valid in both cases, by means of an “effective time”. We conclude that aging and non-linear response are dual manifestations of a single out-of-equilibrium state, which might be a generic situation. Received 7 May 2000 and Received in final form 22 August 2000     

Large-scale low-energy excitations in 3-d spin glasses

We numerically extract large-scale excitations above the ground state in the 3-dimensional Edwards-Anderson spin glass with Gaussian couplings. We find that associated energies are O(1), in agreement with the mean field picture. Of further interest are the position-space properties of these excitations. First, our study of their topological properties show that the majority of the large-scale excitations are sponge-like. Second, when probing their geometrical properties, we find that the excitations coarsen when the system size is increased. We conclude that either finite size effects are very large even when the spin overlap q is close to zero, or the mean field picture of homogeneous excitations has to be modified. Received 14 August 2000     

Weakly nonextensive thermostatistics and the Ising model with long-range interactions

We introduce a new nonextensive entropic measure that grows like , where N is the size of the system under consideration. This kind of nonextensivity arises in a natural way in some N-body systems endowed with long-range interactions described by interparticle potentials. The power law (weakly nonextensive) behavior exhibited by is intermediate between (1) the linear (extensive) regime characterizing the standard Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy and (2) the exponential law (strongly nonextensive) behavior associated with the Tsallis generalized q-entropies. The functional is parametrized by the real number in such a way that the standard logarithmic entropy is recovered when . We study the mathematical properties of the new entropy, showing that the basic requirements for a well behaved entropy functional are verified, i.e., possesses the usual properties of positivity, equiprobability, concavity and irreversibility and verifies Khinchin axioms except the one related to additivity since is nonextensive. For , the entropy becomes superadditive in the thermodynamic limit. The present formalism is illustrated by a numerical study of the thermodynamic scaling laws of a ferromagnetic Ising model with long-range interactions. Received 24 May 2000     

First excitations of the spin 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the kagomé lattice

We study the exact low energy spectra of the spin 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on small samples of the kagomé lattice of up to N=36 sites. In agreement with the conclusions of previous authors, we find that these low energy spectra contradict the hypothesis of Néel type long range order. Certainly, the ground state of this system is a spin liquid, but its properties are rather unusual. The magnetic () excitations are separated from the ground state by a gap. However, this gap is filled with nonmagnetic () excitations. In the thermodynamic limit the spectrum of these nonmagnetic excitations will presumably develop into a gapless continuum adjacent to the ground state. Surprisingly, the eigenstates of samples with an odd number of sites, i.e. samples with an unsaturated spin, exhibit symmetries which could support long range chiral order. We do not know if these states will be true thermodynamic states or only metastable ones. In any case, the low energy properties of the spin 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the kagomé lattice clearly distinguish this system from either a short range RVB spin liquid or a standard chiral spin liquid. Presumably they are facets of a generically new state of frustrated two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets. Received: 27 November 1997 / Accepted: 29 January 1998