English

Effective Hamiltonians and dilution effects in kagome and related antiferromagnets

Condensed Matter 2009-10-31 v1

Abstract

What is the zero-temperature ordering pattern of a Heisenberg antiferromagnet with large spin length SS (and possibly small dilution), on the kagome lattice, or others built from corner-sharing triangles and tetrahedra? First, I summarize the uses of effective Hamiltonians to resolve the large ground-state degeneracy, leading to long-range order of the usual kind. Secondly, I discuss the effects of dilution, in particular to {\it non}-frustration of classical ground states, in that every simplex of spins is optimally satisfied. Of three explanations for this, the most complete is Moessner-Chalker constraint-counting. Quantum zero-point energy may compete with classical exchange energy in a diluted system, creating frustration and enabling a spin-glass state. I suggest that the regime of over 97% occupation is qualitatively different from the more strongly diluted regime.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0009130,
  title  = {Effective Hamiltonians and dilution effects in kagome and related antiferromagnets},
  author = {Christopher L. Henley},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0009130},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

11 pages; invited talk at "HFM 2000" (Waterloo, June 2000); submitted to Can. J. Phys