Interplay of inter-chain interactions and exchange anisotropy: Stability of multipolar states in quasi-1D quantum helimagnets

TL;DR

This paper investigates how inter-chain interactions and exchange anisotropy influence the stability of multipolar magnetic states in quasi-one-dimensional spin-1/2 systems, relevant to edge-shared cuprate compounds.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of inter-chain coupling and anisotropy on multipolar phase stability using DMRG and analytic methods.

Findings

Residual couplings significantly alter spiral state pitch.

Inter-chain interactions influence multipolar phase stability.

Identification of candidate materials near quantum nematic/triatic phases.

Abstract

We quantify the instability towards the formation of multipolar states in coupled spin-1/2 chain systems with a frustrating J1-J2 exchange, in parameter regimes that are of directly relevance to edge-shared cuprate spin-chain compounds. Three representative types of inter-chain coupling and the presence of uniaxial exchange anisotropy are considered. The magnetic phase diagrams are determined by Density Matrix Renormalization Group calculations and completed by exact analytic results for the nematic and dipolar phases. We establish that the residual couplings strongly affect the pitch of spiral states and their instability to multipolar phases. Our theoretical results bring to the fore novel candidate materials close to quantum nematic/triatic ordering.