arXiv subjects

Th. Jolicoeur

Publications and source records attributed to Th. Jolicoeur.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Magnetization process from Chern-Simons theory and its application to SrCu2(BO3)2

In two-dimensional systems, it is possible transmute bosons into fermions by use of a Chern-Simons gauge field. Such a mapping is used to compute magnetization processes of two-dimensional magnets. The calculation of the magnetization curve then involves the structure of the Hofstadter problem for the lattice under consideration. Certain features of the Hofstadter butterfly are shown to imply the appearance of magnetization plateaus. While not always successfull, this approach leads to interesting results when applied to the 2D AF magnet SrCu2(BO3)2.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Magnetization plateaus of SrCu_2(BO_3)_2 from a Chern-Simons theory

The antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the frustrated Shastry-Sutherland lattice is studied by a mapping onto spinless fermions carrying one quantum of statistical flux. Using a mean-field approximation these fermions populate the bands of a generalized Hofstadter problem. Their filling leads to the magnetization curve. For SrCu_2(BO_3)_2 we reproduce plateaus at 1/3 and 1/4 of the saturation moment and predict a new one at 1/2. Gaussian fluctuations are shown to be massive at these plateau values.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Edge Logarithmic Corrections probed by Impurity NMR

Semi-infinite quantum spin chains display spin autocorrelations near the boundary with power-law exponents that are given by boundary conformal field theories. We show that NMR measurements on spinless impurities that break a quantum spin chain lead to a spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T_1^edge that has a temperature dependence which is a direct probe of the anomalous boundary exponents. For the antiferromagnetic S=1/2 spin chain, we show that 1/T_1^edge behaves as T (log T)^2 instead of (log T)^1/2 for a bulk measurement. We show that, in the case of a one-dimensional conductor described by a Luttinger liquid, a similar measurement leads to a relaxation rate 1/T_1^{edge} behaving as T, independent of the anomalous exponent K_rho.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Generalized nonlinear sigma model approach to alternating spin chains and ladders

We generalize the nonlinear sigma model treatment of quantum spin chains to cases including ferromagnetic bonds. When these bonds are strong enough, the classical ground state is no longer the standard Neel order and we present an extension of the known formalism to deal with this situation. We study the alternating ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic spin chain introduced by Hida. The smooth crossover between decoupled dimers and the Haldane phase is semi-quantitatively reproduced. We study also a spin ladder with diagonal exchange couplings that interpolates between the gapped phase of the two-leg spin ladder and the Haldane phase. Here again we show that there is good agreement between DMRG data and our analytical results.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1998

Incommensurability in the magnetic excitations of the bilinear-biquadratic spin-1 chain

We study the magnetic excitation spectrum of the S=1 quantum Heisenberg spin chain with Hamiltonian : H = sum_i cos(theta) S_i S_i+1 + sin(theta) (S_i S_i+1)^2. We focus on the range -pi/4 < theta < +pi/4 where the spin chain is in the gapped Haldane phase. The excitation spectrum and static structure factor is studied using direct Lanczos diagonalization of small systems and density-matrix renormalization group techniques combined with the single-mode approximation. The magnon dispersion has a minimum at q=pi until a critical value theta_c = 0.38 is reached at which the curvature (velocity) vanishes. Beyond this point, which is distinct from the VBS point and the Lifshitz point, the minimum lies at an incommensurate value that goes smoothly to 2pi/3 when theta approaches pi/4, the Lai-Sutherland point. The mode remains isolated from the other states: there is no evidence of spinon deconfinement before the point theta =+pi/4. These findings explain recent observation of the magnetization curve M approx (H -H_c)^1/4 for theta =theta_c.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1998

Effects of randomness on the antiferromagnetic spin-1 chain

We investigate the effect of weak randomness on the antiferromagnetic anisotropic spin-1 chain. We use Abelian bosonization to construct the low-energy effective theory. A renormalization group calculation up to second order in the strength of the disorder is performed on this effective theory. We observe in this framework the destruction of the antiferromagnetic ordered phase `a la Imry-Ma. We predict the effects of a random magnetic field along z axis, a random field in the XY plane as well as random exchange with and without XY symmetry. Instabilities of massless phases appear in general by mechanisms different from the case of the 2-leg spin ladder.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1998

Double gap and solitonic excitations in the spin-Peierls chain CuGeO3

We have studied magnetic excitations in the dimerized spin-Peierls phase of CuGeO3, by high resolution inelastic neutron scattering. We measured the well-defined spin triplet dispersive mode which is gapped throughout the whole Brillouin zone. We also observed that this mode is separated by an unexpected second gap of order 2 meV from a continuum of magnetic excitations extending to higher energy. The first gap (or 'triplet gap') and its associated dispersive mode is due to the breaking of a singlet dimer into a delocalized triplet. We propose that the second gap (or 'solitonic gap') and the continuum correspond to dissociation of that triplet into two unbound spin-1/2 solitons that are separated by a dimerized region of arbitrary length.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Phases of random antiferromagnetic spin-1 chains

We formulate a real-space renormalization scheme that allows the study of the effects of bond randomness in the Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin-1 chain. There are four types of bonds that appear during the renormalization flow. We implement numerically the decimation procedure. We give a detailed study of the probability distributions of all these bonds in the phases that occur when the strength of the disorder is varied. Approximate flow equations are obtained in the weak-disorder regime as well as in the strong disorder case where the physics is that of the random singlet phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Experimental Evidence of a Haldane Gap in an S = 2 Quasi-linear Chain Antiferromagnet

The magnetic susceptibility of the $S = 2$ quasi-linear chain Heisenberg antiferromagnet (2,$2'$-bipyridine)trichloromanganese(III), MnCl_{3}(bipy), has been measured from 1.8 to 300 K with the magnetic field, H, parallel and perpendicular to the chains. The analyzed data yield $g\approx 2$ and $J\approx 35$ K. The magnetization, M, has been studied at 30 mK and 1.4 K in H up to 16 T. No evidence of long-range order is observed. Depending on crystal orientation, $M\approx 0$ at 30 mK until a critical field is achieved ($H_{c\|} = 1.2\pm 0.2 T$ and $H_{c\bot} = 1.8\pm 0.2 T), where M increases continuously as H is increased. These results are interpreted as evidence of a Haldane gap.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Fullerene anions and pairing in finite systems

The pi electrons of isolated fullerene anions C60^{n-} (n betwen 1 and 6) are a quite unique finite system of electrons with an attractive interaction due to exchange of intramolecular phonons. This interaction may overwhelm Hund's rule and lead to an ordering of levels that can be interpreted as on-ball pairing, in a manner similar to the pairing in atomic nuclei. The weak-coupling treatment of the Jahn-Teller effect is analogous to the seniority model used in nuclear physics for pairing in a single j-shell. The odd-even effects may be sought in solutions of fulleride ions: recent experimental results are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Critical Exponents of the pure and random-field Ising models

We show that current estimates of the critical exponents of the three-dimensional random-field Ising model are in agreement with the exponents of the pure Ising system in dimension 3 - theta where theta is the exponent that governs the hyperscaling violation in the random case.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1997

Percolation Transition in the random antiferromagnetic spin-1 chain

We give a physical description in terms of percolation theory of the phase transition that occurs when the disorder increases in the random antiferromagnetic spin-1 chain between a gapless phase with topological order and a random singlet phase. We study the statistical properties of the percolation clusters by numerical simulations, and we compute exact exponents characterizing the transition by a real-space renormalization group calculation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1995

Physical Meaning of the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki S=1 Quantum spin chain

Most of the present understanding of the S=1 quantum spin chains displaying the Haldane gap is coming from the so-called valence-bond-solid Hamiltonian which has an exactly known ground state. We show that this point is characterized by the onset of short-range incommensurate spin correlations in the one-parameter family of Hamiltonians with biquadratic coupling: H = sum_i S_i S_{i+1} +alpha sum_i ( S_i S_{i+1} )^2. This gives a physical meaning to this special point. We establish precise values for the gaps, correlations, the string order parameter, and identify the VBS point as a *disorder* point in the sense of classical statistical mechanics. It is a quantum remnant of the classical transition between a ground state with long-range Néel order and a ground state with incommensurate long-range order.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

A self-consistent theory of phase transitions in noncollinear magnets

I study phase transitions occuring in noncollinear magnets by means of a self-consistent screening approximation. The Ginzburg-Landau theory involves two N-component vector fields with two independent quartic couplings allowing a symmetry-breaking scheme which is SO(N)times SO(2) broken down to SO(N-2)times SO(2)_diag. I find that there is a second-order phase transition in the physical cases N=2,3, D=3 and that there is no fluctuation-induced first-order transition. This is very similar to the case of the normal-to-superconducting phase transition as recently found by Radzihovsky. The exponents are eta(N=3,D=3)= 0.11, eta(N=2,D=3) =0.15 and go smoothly to the large-N limit.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Haldane Gap and Hidden Order in the S=2 Antiferromagnetic Quantum Spin Chain

We have investigated Haldane's conjecture for the S=2 isotropic antiferromagnetic quantum spin chain with nearest-neighbor exchange J. Using a density matrix renormalization group algorithm for chains up to L=350 spins, we find in the thermodynamic limit a finite spin gap of Delta = 0.085(5)J and a finite spin-spin correlation length xi = 49(1) lattice spacings. We establish the ground state energy per bond to be E_0=-4.761248(1)J. We show that the ground state has a hidden topological order that is revealed in a nonlocal string correlation function. This means that the physics of the S=2 chain can be captured by a valence-bond solid description. We also observe effective free spin-1 states at the ends of an open S=2 chain.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1994

Finite-lattice extrapolations for a Haldane gap antiferromagnet

We present results of exact diagonalizations of the isotropic antiferromagnetic S=1 Heisenberg chain by the Lanczos method, for finite rings of up to N=22 sites. The Haldane gap G(N) and the ground state energy per site e(N) converge, with increasing N, faster than a power law. By VBS and Shanks transformations, the extrapolated values are G=0.41049(2) and e=-1.401485(2). The spin-spin correlation function is well fit by exp(-r/xi)/sqrt(r) with xi=6.2.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1993

Electronic Structure of Fullerene Anions

We study the electronic states of isolated fullerene anions C$^{n-}_{60}$ ($1\le n \le 6$) taking into account the effective interaction between electrons due to exchange of intramolecular phonons. If the vibronic coupling is strong enough such an effect may overwhelm Hund's rule and lead to an ordering of levels that can be interpreted as on-ball pairing, in a manner similar to the pairing in atomic nuclei. We suggest that such effects may be sought in solutions of fulleride ions and discuss recent experimental results.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1993

A Renormalization Group Study of Helimagnets in D=2+EPSILON Dimensions

We study a non linear sigma model $O(N)\otimes O(2)/O(N-2)\otimes O(2)$ describing the phase transition of N-components helimagnets up to two loop order in $D=2+ε$ dimensions. It is shown that a stable fixed point exists as soon as $N$ is greater than 3 (or equal). In the N=3 case, the symmetry of the system is dynamically enlarged at the fixed point to O(4) We show that the order parameter for Heisenberg helimagnets involves a tensor representation of $O(4)$. We show that for large $N$ and in the neighborhood of two dimensions this nonlinear sigma model describes the same critical theory as the Landau-Ginzburg linear theory. We deduce that there exists a dividing line $N_c (D)$ in the plane $(N, D)$ separating a first-order region containing the Heisenberg point at $D=4$ and a second-order region containing the whole $D=2$ axis. We conclude that the phase transition of Heisenberg helimagnets in dimension 3 is either first order or second order with $O(4)$ exponents involving a tensor representation or tricritical.

cond-mat↗