A Frustrated 3-Dimensional Antiferromagnet: Stacked $J_{1}-J_{2}$ Layers

TL;DR

This paper investigates a 3D frustrated antiferromagnet with stacked layers, revealing how quantum spin liquid phases diminish with interlayer coupling and identifying phase transitions, with implications for real materials.

Contribution

It extends the understanding of frustrated antiferromagnets from 2D to 3D, analyzing phase transitions and the disappearance of quantum spin liquid phases.

Findings

Quantum spin liquid phase narrows with increased interlayer coupling.

A triple point marks the disappearance of the spin liquid phase.

There is a first-order transition from Néel to columnar order.

Abstract

We study a frustrated 3D antiferromagnet of stacked $J_1 - J_2$ layers. The intermediate 'quantum spin liquid' phase, present in the 2D case, narrows with increasing interlayer coupling and vanishes at a triple point. Beyond this there is a direct first-order transition from N{\' e}el to columnar order. Possible applications to real materials are discussed.