Ground-state phase diagram of the frustrated spin-1/2 two-leg honeycomb ladder

Abstract

We investigate a spin-$1/2$ two-leg honeycomb ladder with frustrating next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) coupling along the legs, which is equivalent to two $J_1$-$J_2$ spin chains coupled with $J_\perp$ at odd rungs. The full parameter region of the model is systematically studied using conventional and infinite density-matrix renormalization group as well as bosonization. The rich phase diagram consists of five distinct phases: A Haldane phase, a NNN-Haldane phase and a staggered dimer phase when $J_{\perp} < 0$; a rung singlet phase and a columnar dimer phase when $J_{\perp} > 0$. An interesting reentrant behavior from the dimerized phase into the Haldane phase is found as the frustration $J_2$ increases. The universalities of the critical phase transitions are fully analyzed. Phase transitions between dimerized and disordered phases belong to the two-dimensional Ising class with central charge $c=1/2$. The transition from the Haldane phase to NNN-Haldane phase is of a weak topological first order, while the continuous transition between the Haldane phase and rung singlet phase has central charge $c=2$.