Quantum field theory solution for a short-range interacting SO(3) quantum spin-glass

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum field theory approach to analyze a disordered 2D SO(3) quantum Heisenberg model, revealing a phase diagram with antiferromagnetic, paramagnetic, and spin-glass phases, and explicitly calculating order parameters and susceptibilities.

Contribution

The paper introduces a field-theoretic formulation of a disordered quantum spin system, deriving the phase diagram and stability analysis including quantum fluctuations.

Findings

Identified a quantum critical point between paramagnetic and spin-glass phases.

Explicitly calculated the Edwards-Anderson order parameter and susceptibilities.

Demonstrated the stability of the spin-glass phase through Hessian analysis.

Abstract

We study the quenched disordered magnetic system, which is obtained from the 2D SO(3) quantum Heisenberg model, on a square lattice, with nearest neighbors interaction, by taking a Gaussian random distribution of couplings centered in an antiferromagnetic coupling, $\bar J>0$ and with a width $\Delta J$. Using coherent spin states we can integrate over the random variables and map the system onto a field theory, which is a generalization of the SO(3) nonlinear sigma model with different flavors corresponding to the replicas, coupling parameter proportional to $\bar J$ and having a quartic spin interaction proportional to the disorder ($\Delta J$). After deriving the CP$^1$ version of the system, we perform a calculation of the free energy density in the limit of zero replicas, which fully includes the quantum fluctuations of the CP$^1$ fields $z_i$. We, thereby obtain the phase diagram of the system in terms of ($T, \bar J, \Delta J$). This presents an ordered antiferromagnetic (AF) phase, a paramagnetic (PM) phase and a spin-glass (SG) phase. A critical curve separating the PM and SG phases ends at a quantum critical point located between the AF and SG phases, at T=0. The Edwards-Anderson order parameter, as well as the magnetic susceptibilities are explicitly obtained in each of the three phases as a function of the three control parameters. The magnetic susceptibilities show a Curie-type behavior at high temperatures and exhibit a clear cusp, characteristic of the SG transition, at the transition line. The thermodynamic stability of the phases is investigated by a careful analysis of the Hessian matrix of the free energy. We show that all principal minors of the Hessian are positive in the limit of zero replicas, implying in particular that the SG phase is stable.