Doping on the kagome lattice: A variational Monte-Carlo study of the $t-J$ model

TL;DR

This study investigates doping effects on the Kagome lattice within the $t-J$ model using variational Monte-Carlo, revealing a transition from a spin-liquid to a uniform zero-flux state with low doping and formation of a valence bond crystal.

Contribution

It introduces a variational Monte-Carlo analysis of the doped Kagome lattice, comparing multiple states and identifying a doping-induced phase transition.

Findings

Doping drives the system from a spin-liquid to a uniform zero-flux state.

Low doping leads to formation of a Hastings-type valence bond crystal.

Results align well with exact diagonalization on small clusters.

Abstract

We study doping on the Kagome lattice by exploring the $t-J$-model with variational Monte-Carlo. We use a number of Gutzwiller projected spin-liquid and valence bond-crystal states and compare their energies at several system-sizes. We find that introducing mobile holes drives the system away from the Spin-Liquid state proposed by Ran et al for the undoped system, towards a uniform state with zero-flux. On top of the uniform-state a VBC of the Hastings-type is formed for low doping. The results are compared to exact diagonalization on small clusters. This agrees well.