arXiv subjects

Mandev Bhullar

Publications and source records attributed to Mandev Bhullar.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Evolution from Kitaev to XXZ spin chains via distortion: Application to BaCo$_2$V$_2$O$_8$

BaCo$_2$V$_2$O$_8$ is a prototypical spin-orbit-coupled Ising-chain antiferromagnet that provides a unique platform for studying field-induced quantum magnetism. Under a transverse magnetic field, it exhibits unusual magnetic properties, including an anomalous staggered magnetization and a pronounced anisotropy of the critical field with respect to the in-plane field direction. While these phenomena have been attributed phenomenologically to a site-dependent anisotropic $g$-tensor, a recent microscopic theory has shown that spin-orbit coupling naturally generates bond-dependent Heisenberg, Kitaev, and $\Gamma$ exchange interactions. Here, we unify these two pictures by extending the microscopic theory to incorporate distortions of the CoO$_6$ octahedra. We show that the distortions not only generate the site-dependent anisotropic $g$-tensor but also renormalize the staggered exchange interactions through a distortion-induced contribution that partially compensates the Kitaev-derived staggered term. Using point-charge calculations to estimate the $g$-tensor of BaCo$_2$V$_2$O$_8$, we demonstrate that the strong anisotropy of the critical field originates from the combined effects of the modified exchange interactions and the anisotropic $g$-tensor. Our work provides a unified microscopic framework for understanding the magnetic anisotropy of spin-orbit-coupled Ising-chain materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Microscopic Theory Revealing Ising Criticality with Distinct Sublattice Orders in Pseudospin-1/2 Chain

The one-dimensional transverse Ising model is a paradigmatic example of quantum criticality. In spin-orbit coupled systems, however, effective Ising interactions arise alongside bond-dependent couplings such as Kitaev ($K$) and $\Gamma$ terms in addition to the Heisenberg ($J$) interaction, leading to complex magnetic orders beyond the pure Ising limit. We first explore how the generic $J-K-\Gamma$ model with four-fold screw symmetry in a spin-orbit-entangled pseudospin-1/2 chain manifests via sublattice order, and then test whether field-driven transitions retain Ising universality. We find sublattice-dependent magnetic order below the critical field and a distinct sublattice pattern persisting above it. Despite these complex magnetic order structures, the transition remains in the Ising universality class with central charge $c=1/2$. Our work provides a route to the microscopic Hamiltonian and emergent Ising criticality while allowing microscopic physics of the sublattice orders to manifest at low and high fields. Application to antiferromagnetic Ising materials such as BaCo$_2$V$_2$O$_8$ is also discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Field-Induced Ordered Phases in Anisotropic Spin-1/2 Kitaev Chains

Motivated by intense research on two-dimensional spin-1/2 Kitaev materials, Kitaev spin chains and ladders, though geometrically limited, have been studied for their numerical simplicity and insights into extended Kitaev models. The phase diagrams under the magnetic field were also explored for these quasi-one dimensional models. For an isotropic Kitaev chain, it was found that a magnetic field polarizes the ground state except along the symmetric field angle, where the chain is found to remain gapless up to a critical field strength where it enters an intriguing soliton phase before reaching the polarized state at higher field strengths. Here we study an anisotropic Kitaev chain under a magnetic field using the density matrix renormalization group technique, where the ground state has a macroscopic degeneracy with a finite gap in the absence of the magnetic field. When the field is mainly aligned parallel to the strong bond, four-site and large unit-cell ordered phases arise. In a certain angle of the field, another ordered phase characterized by a uniform chirality with six-site periodicity emerges. We employ a perturbation theory to understand such field-induced ordered phases. The effective model uncovers the presence of transverse Ising and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions between unit cells, as well as further-neighbor Ising interaction induced by the magnetic field, which collectively explain the mechanisms behind these ordered states. Open questions and challenges are also discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗