# Quantum critical phase with infinite projected entangled paired states

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a class of SU(2)-invariant PEPS that effectively models a quantum critical phase in the frustrated J1-J2 Heisenberg model, showing no magnetic order and diverging correlation lengths.

## Contribution

It identifies a specific SU(2)-invariant PEPS family that captures quantum critical behavior in the J1-J2 model, advancing understanding of quantum phase transitions.

## Key findings

- No magnetic order observed in the PEPS for N≥3
- Diverging correlation lengths indicating criticality
- Effective variational energies at J2=0.5

## Abstract

A classification of SU(2)-invariant Projected Entangled Paired States (PEPS) on the square lattice, based on a unique site tensor, has been recently introduced by Mambrini et al.~\cite{Mambrini2016}. It is not clear whether such SU(2)-invariant PEPS can either i) exhibit long-range magnetic order (like in the N\'eel phase) or ii) describe a genuine quantum critical point (QCP) or quantum critical phase (QCPh) separating two ordered phases. Here, we identify a specific family of SU(2)-invariant PEPS of the classification which provides excellent variational energies for the $J_1-J_2$ frustrated Heisenberg model, especially at $J_2=0.5$, corresponding to the approximate location of the QCP or QCPh separating the N\'eel phase from a dimerized phase. The PEPS are build from virtual states belonging to the $\frac{1}{2}^{\otimes N} \oplus 0$ SU(2)-representation, i.e. with $N$ "colors" of virtual \hbox{spin-$\frac{1}{2}$}. Using a full update infinite-PEPS approach directly in the thermodynamic limit, based on the Corner Transfer Matrix renormalization algorithm supplemented by a Conjugate Gradient optimization scheme, we provide evidence of i) the absence of magnetic order and of ii) diverging correlation lengths (i.e. showing no sign of saturation with increasing environment dimension) in both the singlet and triplet channels, when the number of colors $N\ge 3$. We argue that such a PEPS gives a qualitative description of the QCP or QCPh of the $J_1-J_2$ model.