Geometry fluctuations and Casimir effect in a quantum antiferromagnet

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a quantum fluctuation-induced Casimir-like force between domain walls in a two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet, influenced by geometrical phason flips, with a decay rate slower than electromagnetic Casimir forces.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of Casimir-like forces arising from quantum geometry fluctuations in antiferromagnets, specifically due to phason flips, a novel mechanism in periodic structures.

Findings

The force decays as 1/d with distance d.

The interaction is anisotropic depending on orientation.

Quantum origin of energy changes is confirmed.

Abstract

We show the presence of a Casimir type force between domain walls in a two dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet subject to geometrical fluctuations. The type of fluctuations that we consider, called phason flips, are well known in quasicrystals, but less so in periodic structures. As the classical ground state energy of the antiferromagnet is unaffected by this type of fluctuation, energy changes are purely of quantum origin. We calculate the effective interaction between two parallel domain walls, defining a slab of thickness d, in such an antiferromagnet within linear spin wave theory. The interaction is anisotropic, and for a particular orientation of the slab we find that it decays as 1/d, thus, more slowly than the electromagnetic Casimir effect in the same geometry.