Abstract
We study an asymmetric zigzag ladder consisting of two different spin- antiferromagnetic (AFM; ) Heisenberg legs coupled by zigzag-shaped ferromagnetic (FM; ) interleg interaction. On the basis of density-matrix renormalization group based calculations, the ground-state phase diagram is obtained as functions of and . It contains four kinds of frustration-induced ordered phases except a trivial FM phase. Two of the ordered phases are valence bond solid (VBS) with spin-singlet dimerization, which is a rather conventional order by disorder. Still, it is interesting to note that the VBS states possesses an Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki–type topological hidden order. The remaining two phases are ferrimagnetic orders, each of which is distinguished by commensurate or incommensurate spin-spin correlation. It is striking that the ferrimagnetic orders are not associated with geometrical symmetry breaking; instead, the global spin-rotation symmetry is broken. In other words, the system lowers its energy via the FM interleg interaction by polarizing both of the AFM Heisenberg legs. This is a rare type of order by disorder. Besides, the incommensurate ferrimagnetic state appears as a consequence of the competition between a polarization and a critical Tomonaga-Luttinger–liquid behavior in the AFM Heisenberg legs.
10 More- Received 12 November 2019
- Revised 19 February 2020
- Accepted 20 February 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.101.104407
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