Plaquette resonating-valence-bond ground state of CaV4O9

Two-dimensional Dirac nodal loop magnons in collinear antiferromagnets

We study the nontrivial linear magnon band crossings in the collinear antiferromagnets on the two-dimensional (2D) CaVO lattice, also realized in some iron-based superconductors such as AFe_1.6+x Se₂ (A  =  K, Rb, Cs). It is shown that the combination of space-inversion and time-reversal symmetry ([Formula: see text] symmetry) leads to doubly-degenerate eight magnon branches, which cross each other linearly along a one-dimensional loop in the 2D Brillouin zone. We show that the Dirac nodal loops (DNLs) are not present in the collinear ferromagnet on this lattice. Thus, the current 2D antiferromagnetic DNLs are symmetry-protected and they provide a novel platform to search for their analogs in 2D electronic antiferromagnetic systems.

BaCo4(OH)2(H2PO4)(HPO4)2(PO4): Archimedean lattice T11 in distorted layers built from Co4O12(OH)4 squares

The family of Archimedean lattices has eleven numbers, yet several of these lattices have not been reported for transition metal oxides. Here, the last number of Archimedean lattice was firstly realized in a layered phosphate.

NaKV4O9·2H2O: a new 2D magnetic compound with a 1/5-depleted square lattice

A new vanadate compound NaKV4O9·2H2O is successfully synthesized by a conventional hydrothermal method. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group C2/c, showing a typical 2D layered structure built from VO5 pyramids, in which the layers are separated by Na(+), K(+), and H2O. The topology structure of magnetic V(4+) ions shows a quite interesting 1/5-depleted square lattice, which is quite similar to that of a famous low-dimensional quantum spin system CaV4O9. A structural and magnetic comparison confirmed that the title compound may exhibit a more pronounced 2D character with a large spin gap.

Magnetic correlations and pairing in the 1/5-depleted square lattice Hubbard model

We study the single-orbital Hubbard model on the 1/5-depleted square-lattice geometry, which arises in such diverse systems as the spin-gap magnetic insulator CaV4O9 and ordered-vacancy iron selenides, presenting new issues regarding the origin of both magnetic ordering and superconductivity in these materials. We find a rich phase diagram that includes a plaquette singlet phase, a dimer singlet phase, a Néel and a block-spin antiferromagnetic phase, and stripe phases. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations show that the dominant pairing correlations at half filling change character from d wave in the plaquette phase to extended s wave upon transition to the Néel phase. These findings have intriguing connections to iron-based superconductors, and suggest that some physics of multiorbital systems can be captured by a single-orbital model at different dopings.

Quantum Monte Carlo simulations of fidelity at magnetic quantum phase transitions

When a system undergoes a quantum phase transition, the ground-state wave function shows a change of nature, which can be monitored using the fidelity concept. We introduce two quantum Monte Carlo schemes that allow the computation of fidelity and its susceptibility for large interacting many-body systems. These methods are illustrated on a two-dimensional Heisenberg model, where fidelity estimators show marked behavior at two successive quantum phase transitions. We also develop a scaling theory which relates the divergence of the fidelity susceptibility to the critical exponent of the correlation length. A good agreement is found with the numerical results.

Néel and Spin-Peierls ground states of two-dimensional SU(N) quantum antiferromagnets

The two-dimensional SU(N) quantum antiferromagnet, a generalization of the quantum Heisenberg model, is investigated by quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The ground state for N<or=4 is found to be of the Néel type with broken SU(N) symmetry, whereas it is of the Spin-Peierls type for N>or=5 with broken lattice translational invariance. Our computation of the magnetization and the dimerization order parameter shows the absence of the intermediate spin-liquid phase.

High spin systems with orbital degeneracy

High-spin systems with orbital degeneracy are studied in the large spin limit. In the absence of Hund's coupling, the classical spin model is mapped onto disconnected orbital systems with spins up and down, respectively. The ground state of the isotropic model is an orbital valence bond state where each bond is an orbital singlet with parallel spins, and neighboring bonds interact antiferromagnetically. Possible relevance to the transition metal oxides is discussed.