Quantum phase diagram of $J_1-J_2$ Heisenberg $S=1/2$ antiferromagnet in honeycomb lattice: a modified spin wave study

TL;DR

This study uses a modified spin wave method to map out the quantum phase diagram of the $J_1-J_2$ Heisenberg model on a honeycomb lattice, revealing multiple magnetic and quantum disordered phases, including quantum spin liquids and valence bond crystals.

Contribution

First application of modified spin wave analysis to the $J_1-J_2$ honeycomb model, identifying new quantum spin liquid and valence bond crystal phases due to lattice distortion.

Findings

Identified three main phases in the symmetric model: N{\'e}el.I, quantum spin liquid, N{\'e}el.II.

Discovered additional phases in the distorted model, including gapless QSL and VBC.

Mapped the phase boundaries as a function of frustration and distortion parameters.

Abstract

Using modified spin wave (MSW) method, we study the $J_1-J_2$ Heisenberg model with first and second neighbor antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. For symmetric $S=1/2$ model, with the same couplings for all the equivalent neighbors, we find three phase in terms of frustration parameter ${\bar\alpha=J_2/J_1}$: (1) a commensurate collinear ordering with staggered magnetization (N{\'e}el.I state) for $0\leq{\bar\alpha}\lesssim 0.207$ , (2) a magnetically gapped disordered state for $0.207\lesssim{\bar\alpha}\lesssim 0.369$, preserving all the symmetries of the Hamiltonian and lattice, hence by definition is a quantum spin liquid (QSL) state and (3) a commensurate collinear ordering in which two out of three nearest neighbor magnetizations are antiparallel and the remaining pair are parallel (N{\'e}el.II state), for $0.396\lesssim{\bar\alpha}\leq 1$. We also explore the phase diagram of distorted $J_1-J_2$ model with $S=1/2$. Distortion is introduced as an inequality of one nearest neighbor coupling with the other two. This yields a richer phase diagram by the appearance of a new gapped QSL, a gapless QSL and also a valence bond crystal (VBC) phase in addition to the previously three phases found for undistorted model.