Anomalous Behavior of the Magnetization Process of the S = 1/2 Kagome-Lattice Heisenberg Antiferromagnet at One-Third Height of the Saturation

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetization process of the S=1/2 kagome-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet, revealing unique critical behavior at one-third saturation and the influence of lattice distortion on phase boundaries.

Contribution

It provides new numerical results on the magnetization process of a 42-site kagome cluster and clarifies the distinct critical behavior at one-third saturation, including effects of lattice distortion.

Findings

Critical behavior at one-third saturation differs from typical magnetization plateaus.

Undistorted kagome point acts as a phase boundary with distinct properties.

Lattice distortion influences phase transition characteristics.

Abstract

The magnetization process of the S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the kagome lattice is studied by the numerical-diagonalization method. We successfully obtain a new result of the magnetization process of a 42-site cluster in the entire range. Our analysis clarifies that the critical behavior around one-third of the height of the saturation is different from the typical behavior of the well-known magnetization plateau in two-dimensional systems. We also examine the effect of the $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$-type distortion added to the kagome lattice. We find at one-third of the height of the saturation in the magnetization process that the undistorted kagome point is just the boundary between two phases that show their own properties that are different from each other. Our results suggest a relationship between the anomalous critical behavior at the undistorted point and the fact that the undistorted point is the boundary.