arXiv subjects

Johannes Richter

Publications and source records attributed to Johannes Richter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Field-induced states and thermodynamics of the frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice

We investigate the ground-state and finite-temperature properties of the $J_1$-$J_2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square lattice in the presence of an external magnetic field. We focus on the highly frustrated regime around $J_2 \approx J_1/2$. The $h$-$T$ phase diagram is investigated with particular emphasis on the finite-temperature transition into the "up-up-up-down" state that is stabilized by thermal and quantum fluctuations and manifests itself as a plateau at one half of the saturation magnetization in the quantum case. We also discuss the enhanced magnetocaloric effect associated to the ground-state degeneracy that arises at the saturation field for $J_2=J_1/2$. For reference, we first study the classical case by classical Monte Carlo simulations. Then we turn to the extreme quantum limit of spin-1/2 where we perform zero- and finite-temperature Lanczos calculations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

On flat bands in the $J_1$-$J_2$-$J_3$ XXZ sawtooth chain

We consider a generalization of the XXZ model on the sawtooth spin chain with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in which all exchange constants (symmetric, antisymmetric, and axial anisotropy) are different for the three different bonds of each triangle. We derive and resolve algebraic constraints on the exchange constants ensuring the appearance of a flat band in the one-magnon spectrum. The properties of the corresponding flat magnon bands and localized magnon states are analyzed. We further construct the mapping of the flat-band conditions for the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya constants onto the Katsura-Nagaosa-Balatsky parameters. Based on the mapping, the possibility of the electric-field-driven flat bands with the aid of the magnetoelectric coupling is examined.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Frustrated kagome-lattice bilayer quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet

We consider the $S=1/2$ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on a frustrated kagome-lattice bilayer with strong nearest-neighbor interlayer coupling and examine its low-temperature magnetothermodynamics using a mapping onto a rhombi gas on the kagome lattice. Besides, we use finite-size numerics to illustrate the validity of the classical lattice-gas description. Among our findings there are i) the absence of an order-disorder phase transition and ii) the sensitivity of the specific heat at low temperatures to the shape of the system just below the saturation magnetic field even in the thermodynamic limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Thermodynamics of the $S=1/2$ hyperkagome-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet

The $S=1/2$ hyperkagome-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet allows to study the interplay of geometrical frustration and quantum as well as thermal fluctuations in three dimensions. We use 16 terms of a high-temperature series expansion complemented by the entropy-method interpolation to examine the specific heat and the uniform susceptibility of this model. We obtain thermodynamic quantities for several possible scenarios determined by the behavior of the specific heat as $T\to 0$: A power-law decay with the exponent $α=1,2$ and also $3$ (gapless energy spectrum) or an exponential decay (gapped energy spectrum). All scenarios give rise to a low-temperature peak in $c(T)$ (almost a shoulder for $α=1$) at $T<0.05$, i.e., well below the main high-temperature peak. The functional form of the uniform susceptibility $χ(T)$ below about $T=0.5$ depends strongly not only on the chosen scenario but also on an input parameter $χ_0\equivχ(T=0)$. An estimate for the ground-state energy $e_0$ depends on the adopted specific scenario but is expected to lie between $-0.441$ and $-0.435$. In addition to the entropy-method interpolation we use the finite-temperature Lanczos method to calculate $c(T)$ and $χ(T)$ for finite lattices of $N=24$ and $36$ sites. A combined view on both methods leads us to favor the gapless scenario with $α=2$ (but $α=1$ cannot be excluded) and finite $χ_0$ around $0.1$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Spin-$S\,$ Kitaev-Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice: A high-order treatment via the many-body coupled cluster method

We study the spin-$S$ Kitaev-Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice for $S\!=\!1/2$, $1$ and $3/2$, by using the coupled cluster method (CCM) of microscopic quantum many-body theory. This system is one of the earliest extensions of the Kitaev model and is believed to contain two extended spin liquid phases for any value of the spin quantum number $S$. We show that the CCM delivers accurate estimates for the phase boundaries of these spin liquid phases, as well as other transition points in the phase diagram. Moreover, we find evidence of two unexpected narrow phases for $S\!=\!1/2$, one sandwiched between the zigzag and ferromagnetic phases and the other between the Néel and the stripy phases. The results establish the CCM as a versatile numerical technique that can capture the strong quantum-mechanical fluctuations that are inherently present in generalized Kitaev models with competing bond-dependent anisotropies.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

The magnetization process of classical Heisenberg magnets with non-coplanar cuboc ground states

We consider a classical Heisenberg model on the kagomé and the square kagomé lattice, where at zero magnetic field non-coplanar cuboctahedral ground states with twelve sublattices exist if suitable exchange couplings are introduced between the other neighbors. Such 'cuboc ground states' are remarkable because they allow for chiral ordering. For these models, we discuss the magnetization process in an applied magnetic field $H$ by both numerical and analytical methods. We find some universal properties that are present in all models. The magnetization curve $M(H)$ usually contains only non-linear components and there is at least one magnetic field driven phase transition. Details of the $M(H)$ curve such as the number and characteristics (continuous or discontinuous) of the phase transitions depend on the lattice and the details of the exchange between the further neighbors. Typical features of these magnetization processes can already be derived for a paradigmatic 12 spin model that we define in this work.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Exotic magnetization curves in classical square-kagomé spin lattices

Classical spin systems with non-coplanar ground states typically exhibit nonlinear magnetization curves characterized by kinks and jumps. Our article briefly summarizes the most important related analytical results. In a comprehensive case study, we then address AF-square kagomé and AF/FM-square kagomé spin lattices equipped with additional cross-plaquette interactions. It is known that these systems have non-coplanar ground states that assume a cuboctahedral structure in the absence of a magnetic field. When a magnetic field $H$ is switched on, a rich variety of different phases develops from the cuboctahedral ground state, which are studied in their dependence on $H$ and a cross-plaquette coupling constant $J_3>0$. For the AF square-kagomé spin lattice, we carefully identify and describe seven phases that appear in a phase diagram with five triple points. The transitions between these phases are predominantly discontinuous, although two cases exhibit continuous transitions. In contrast, the phase diagram of the AF/FM square-kagomé model shows only four phases with a single triple point, but these also lead to exotic magnetization curves. Here, too, there are two types of phase boundaries belonging to continuous and discontinuous transitions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

$\require{mhchem}$Quantum paramagnetism in the decorated square-kagome antiferromagnet $\ce{Na6Cu7BiO4(PO4)4Cl3}$

$\require{mhchem}$The square-kagome lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet is a highly frustrated Hamiltonian whose material realizations have been scarce. We theoretically investigate the recently synthesized $\ce{Na6Cu7BiO4(PO4)4Cl3}$ where a Cu$^{2+}$ spin-$1/2$ square-kagome lattice (with six site unit cell) is decorated by a seventh magnetic site alternatingly above and below the layers. The material does not show any sign of long-range magnetic order down to 50 mK despite a Curie-Weiss temperature of $-212$ K indicating a quantum paramagnetic phase. Our DFT energy mapping elicits a purely antiferromagnetic Hamiltonian that features longer range exchange interactions beyond the pure square-kagome model and, importantly, we find the seventh site to be strongly coupled to the plane. We combine two variational Monte Carlo approaches, pseudo-fermion/Majorana functional renormalization group and Schwinger-Boson mean field calculations to show that the complex Hamiltonian of $\ce{Na6Cu7BiO4(PO4)4Cl3}$ still features a nonmagnetic ground state. We explain how the seventh Cu$^{2+}$ site actually aids the stabilization of the disordered state. We predict static and dynamic spin structure factors to guide future neutron scattering experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Non-Coplanar Magnetic Orders in Classical Square-Kagome Antiferromagnets

Motivated by the recent synthesis of a number of Mott insulating square-kagome materials, we explore the rich phenomenology of frustrated magnetism induced by this lattice geometry, also referred to as the squagome or shuriken lattice. On the classical level, square-kagome antiferromagnets are found to exhibit extensive degeneracies, order-by-disorder, and non-coplanar ordering tendencies, which we discuss for an elementary, classical Heisenberg model with nearest-neighbor and cross-plaquette interactions. Having in mind that upon introducing quantum fluctuations non-coplanar order can melt into chiral quantum spin liquids, we provide detailed information on the multitude of non-coplanar orders, including some which break rotational symmetry (possibly leading to nematic quantum orders), as well as a number of (incommensurate) spin spiral phases. Using extensive numerical simulations, we also discuss the thermodynamic signatures of these phases, which often show multi-step thermal ordering. Our comprehensive discussion of the classical square-kagome Heisenberg model, often drawing comparisons to the conventional kagome antiferromagnet, sets the stage for future explorations of quantum analogs of the various phases, either conceptually such as in quantum spin-1/2 generalizations of our model or experimentally such as in the Cu-based candidate materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Thermodynamics of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the star lattice

Using a combination of quantum Monte Carlo simulations in adapted cluster bases, the finite temperature Lanczos method, and an effective Hamiltonian approach, we explore the thermodynamic properties of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the star lattice. We consider various parameter regimes on this strongly frustrated Archimedean lattice, including the case of homogeneous couplings as well as the distinct parameter regimes of dominant vs. weak dimer coupling. For the latter case, we explore the quantum phase diagram in the presence of inhomogeneous trimer couplings, preserving inversion symmetry. We compare the efficiency of different cluster decoupling schemes for the quantum Monte Carlo simulations in terms of the sign problem, contrast the thermodynamic properties to those of other strongly frustrated quantum magnets, such as the kagome lattice model, and comment on previous results from tensor-network calculations regarding a valence bond crystal phase in the regime of weak dimer coupling. Finally, we relate our results to recently reported experimental findings on a Cu-based quantum magnetic spin-1/2 compound with an underlying star lattice structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Magnetism of the $s=1/2$ $J_1$-$J_2$ square-kagome lattice antiferromagnet

The spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square-kagome (SK) lattice has attracted growing attention as a model system of highly frustrated quantum magnetism. A further motivation for theoretical studies comes from the recent discovery of SK spin-liquid compounds. The SK antiferromagnet exhibits two non-equivalent nearest-neighbor bonds $J_1$ and $J_2$. One may expect that in SK compounds $J_1$ and $J_2$ are of different strength. We present a numerical study of finite systems by means of the finite-temperature Lanczos method. We discuss the temperature dependence of the specific heat $C(T)$, the entropy $S(T)$, and of the susceptibility $X(T)$ of the $J_1$-$J_2$ SK Heisenberg antiferromagnet varying $J_2/J_1$ in the range $0 \le J_2/J_1 \le 4$. We also discuss the zero-field ground state of the model. We find indications for a magnetically disordered singlet ground state for $0 \le J_2/J_1 \lesssim 1.65$. Beyond $J_2/J_1 \sim 1.65$ the singlet ground state gives way for a ferrimagnetic ground state. In the region $0.77 \lesssim J_2/J_1 \lesssim 1.65$ the low-temperature thermodynamics is dominated by a finite singlet-triplet gap filled with low-lying singlet excitations leading to an exponentially activated low-temperature behavior of $X(T)$. On the other hand, the low-lying singlets yield an extra maximum or a shoulder-like profile below the main maximum in the $C(T)$ curve. For $J_2/J_1 \lesssim 0.7$ the low-temperature thermodynamics is characterized by a large fraction of $N/3$ weakly coupled spins leading to a sizable amount of entropy at very low temperatures. In an applied magnetic field the magnetization process features plateaus and jumps in a wide range of $J_2/J_1$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Spin-half Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a symmetric sawtooth chain: Rotation-invariant Green's functions and high-temperature series

We apply the rotation-invariant Green's function method to study the finite-temperature properties of a $S{=}1/2$ sawtooth-chain (also called $Δ$-chain) antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model at the fully frustrated point when the exchange couplings along the straight-line and zig-zag paths are equal. We also use 13 terms of high-temperature expansion series and interpolation methods to get thermodynamic quantities for this model. We check the obtained predictions for observable quantities by comparison with numerics for finite systems. Although our work refers to a one-dimensional case, the utilized methods work in higher dimensions too and are applicable for examining other frustrated quantum spin lattice systems at finite temperatures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Metal-organic kagome systems as candidates to study spin liquids, spin ice or the quantum anomalous Hall effect

We present the results of first-principle calculations using the Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP) for a new class of organometallics labeled TM3C6O6 (TM =Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) in the form of planar, two-dimensional, periodic free-standing layers. These materials, which can be produced by on-surface coordination on metallic surfaces, have a kagome lattice of TM ions. Calculating the structural properties, we show that all considered materials have local magnetic moments in the ground state, but four of them (with Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) show spin-crossover behavior by changing the lattice constant, which could be valuable for possible epitaxy routes on various substrates. Surprisingly, we find a very large richness of electronic and magnetic properties, qualifying these materials as highly promising metal-organic topological quantum materials. We find semi-conductors with nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic (FM) or antiferromagnetic (AFM) couplings for V, and Sc and Cr, respectively, being of potential interest to study spin ice or spin liquids on the 2D kagome lattice. Other TM ion systems combine AFM couplings with metallic behavior (Ti, Fe and Ni) or are ferromagnetic kagome metals like Cu3C6O6 with symmetry protected Weyl crossings at the Fermi surface. For the latter compound, the spin orbit coupling is shown to be responsible for small gaps which should allow the observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE).

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Classical ground states of spin lattices

We present a generalization of the Luttinger-Tisza-Lyons-Kaplan (LTLK) theory of classical ground states of Bravais lattices with Heisenberg coupling to non-Bravais lattices. It consists of adding certain Lagrange parameters to the diagonal of the Fourier transformed coupling matrix analogous to the theory of the general ground state problem already published. This approach is illustrated by an application to a modified honeycomb lattice, which has exclusive three-dimensional ground states as well as a classical spin-liquid ground state for different values of the two coupling constants. Another example, the modified square lattice, shows that we can also obtain so-called incommensurable ground states by our method.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Quantum Heisenberg model on a sawtooth-chain lattice: Rotation-invariant Green's function method

We apply the rotation-invariant Green's function method (RGM) to study the spin $S=1/2$ Heisenberg model on a one-dimensional sawtooth lattice, which has two nonequivalent sites in the unit cell. We check the RGM predictions for observable quantities by comparison with the exact-diagonalization and finite-temperature-Lanczos calculations. We discuss the thermodynamic and dynamic properties of this model in relation to the mineral atacamite Cu$_2$Cl(OH)$_3$ complementing the RGM outcomes by results of other approaches.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Thermodynamics of the spin-half square-kagome lattice antiferromagnet

Over the last decade, the interest in the spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet (HAF) on the square-kagome (also called shuriken) lattice has been growing as a model system of quantum magnetism with a quantum paramagnetic ground state, flat-band physics near the saturation field, and quantum scars. Here, we present large-scale numerical investigations of the specific heat $C(T)$, the entropy $S(T)$ as well as the susceptibility $χ(T)$ by means of the finite-temperature Lanczos method for system sizes of $N=18,24,30,36,42,48$, and $N=54$. We find that the specific heat exhibits a low-temperature shoulder below the major maximum which can be attributed to low-lying singlet excitations filling the singlet-triplet gap, which is significantly larger than the singlet-singlet gap. This observation is further supported by the behavior of the entropy $S(T)$, where a change in the curvature is present just at about $T/J=0.2$, the same temperature where the shoulder in $C$ sets in. For the susceptibility the low-lying singlet excitations are irrelevant, and the singlet-triplet gap leads to an exponentially activated low-temperature behavior. The maximum in $χ(T)$ is found at a pretty low temperature $T_{\rm max}/J=0.146$ (for $N=42$) compared to $T_{\rm max}/J=0.935$ for the unfrustrated square-lattice HAF signaling the crucial role of frustration also for the susceptibility. We find a striking similarity of our square-kagome data with the corresponding ones for the kagome HAF down to very low $T$. The magnetization process featuring plateaus and jumps and the field dependence of the specific heat that exhibits characteristic peculiarities attributed to the existence of a flat one-magnon band are as well discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Towards lattice-gas description of low-temperature properties above the Haldane and cluster-based Haldane ground states of a mixed spin-(1,1/2) Heisenberg octahedral chain

The rich ground-state phase diagram of the mixed spin-(1,1/2) Heisenberg octahedral chain was previously elaborated from effective mixed-spin Heisenberg chains, which were derived by employing a local conservation of a total spin on square plaquettes of an octahedral chain. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the thermodynamic properties of this model. In the highly frustrated parameter region the lowest-energy eigenstates of the mixed-spin Heisenberg octahedral chain belong to flat bands, which allow a precise description of low-temperature magnetic properties within the localized-magnon approach exploiting a classical lattice-gas model of hard-core monomers. The present article provides a more comprehensive version of the localized-magnon approach, which extends the range of its validity down to a less frustrated parameter region involving the Haldane and cluster-based Haldane ground states. A comparison between results of the developed localized-magnon theory and accurate numerical methods such as full exact diagonalization and finite-temperature Lanczos technique convincingly evidence that the low-temperature magnetic properties above the Haldane and the cluster-based Haldane ground states can be extracted from a classical lattice-gas model of hard-core monomers and dimers, which is additionally supplemented by a hard-core particle spanned over the whole lattice representing the gapped Haldane phase.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2022

Electric field driven flat bands: Enhanced magnetoelectric and electrocaloric effects in frustrated quantum magnets

The $J_1$-$J_2$ quantum spin sawtooth chain is a paradigmatic one-dimensional frustrated quantum spin system exhibiting unconventional ground-state and finite-temperature properties. In particular, it exhibits a flat energy band of one-magnon excitations accompanied by an enhanced magnetocaloric effect for two singular ratios of the basal interactions $J_1$ and the zigzag interactions $J_2$. In our paper, we demonstrate that one can drive the spin system into a flat-band scenario by applying an appropriate electric field, thus overcoming the restriction of fine-tuned exchange couplings $J_1$ and $J_2$ and allowing one to tune more materials towards flat-band physics, that is to show a macroscopic magnetization jump when crossing the magnetic saturation field, a residual entropy at zero temperature as well as an enhanced magnetocaloric effect. While the magnetic field acts on the spin system via the ordinary Zeeman term, the coupling of an applied electric field with the spins is given by the sophisticated Katsura-Nagaosa-Balatsky (KNB) mechanism, where the electric field effectively acts as a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya spin-spin interaction. The resulting novel features are corresponding reciprocal effects: We find a magnetization jump driven by the electric field as well as a jump of the electric polarization driven by the magnetic field, i.e.\ the system exhibits an extraordinarily strong magnetoelectric effect. Moreover, in analogy to the enhanced magnetocaloric effect the system shows an enhanced electrocaloric effect.

cond-mat.str-el↗