Multicolored quantum dimer models, resonating valence-bond states, color visons, and the triangular-lattice t_2g spin-orbital system

TL;DR

This paper explores multicolored quantum dimer models derived from a spin-orbital system on a triangular lattice, revealing topological color structures, vison excitations, and a tendency towards valence-bond order in various regimes.

Contribution

It introduces multicolored quantum dimer models with topological features and analyzes their implications for ground states in a t_2g spin-orbital system.

Findings

Presence of topological color structures and vison excitations.

Broad regions of resonating valence-bond phases.

Strong tendency towards valence-bond order in different exchange regimes.

Abstract

The spin-orbital model for triply degenerate t_2g electrons on a triangular lattice has been shown to be dominated by dimers: the phase diagram contains both strongly resonating, compound spin-orbital dimer states and quasi-static, spin-singlet valence-bond (VB) states. To elucidate the nature of the true ground state in these different regimes, the model is mapped to a number of quantum dimer models (QDMs), each of which has three dimer colors. The generic multicolored QDM, illustrated for the two- and three-color cases, possesses a topological color structure, "color vison" excitations, and broad regions of resonating VB phases. The specific models are analyzed to gain further insight into the likely ground states in the superexchange and direct-exchange limits of the electronic Hamiltonian, and suggest a strong tendency towards VB order in all cases.