Modified spin-wave theory and spin liquid behavior of cold bosons on an inhomogeneous triangular lattice

TL;DR

This paper develops a modified spin-wave theory to study ultracold bosons in an inhomogeneous triangular lattice, predicting robust spin liquid phases and their breakdown of order under certain conditions, supported by exact diagonalization.

Contribution

It introduces a new modified spin-wave approach for arbitrary filling in inhomogeneous lattices, revealing stable spin liquid regimes in cold boson systems.

Findings

Breakdown of order at specific lattice anisotropy values

Robustness of spin liquid phases against filling variations

Validation through exact diagonalization studies

Abstract

Ultracold bosons in a triangular lattice are a promising candidate for observing quantum spin liquid behavior. Here we investigate, for such system, the role of a harmonic trap giving rise to an inhomogeneous density. We construct a modified spin-wave theory for arbitrary filling, and predict the breakdown of order for certain values of the lattice anisotropy. These regimes, identified with the spin liquid phases, are found to be quite robust upon changes in the filling factor. This result is backed by an exact diagonalization study on a small lattice.