Dynamics of spin-1/2 $J_1$-$J_2$ model on the triangular lattice

TL;DR

This paper uses bond-operator theory to analyze the phase diagram and excitations of the spin-1/2 $J_1$-$J_2$ model on a triangular lattice, revealing detailed quasiparticle spectra and novel excitations across different magnetic phases.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed bond-operator analysis of the $J_1$-$J_2$ model on the triangular lattice, identifying new quasiparticles and clarifying the nature of phase transitions.

Findings

Identified four magnetic phases including spin-liquid and ordered states.

Observed evolution of quasiparticle spectra near phase boundaries.

Discovered a unique spin-0 quasiparticle called singlon with specific spectral features.

Abstract

We discuss spin-$\frac12$ $J_1$--$J_2$ model on the triangular lattice using recently proposed bond-operator theory (BOT). In agreement with previous discussions of this system, we obtain four phases upon $J_2$ increasing: the phase with $120^\circ$ ordering of three sublattices, the spin-liquid phase, the state with the collinear stripe order, and the spiral phase. The $120^\circ$ and the stripe phases are discussed in detail. All calculated static characteristics of the model are in good agreement with previous numerical findings. In the $120^\circ$ phase, we observe the evolution of quasiparticles spectra and dynamical structure factors (DSFs) upon approaching the spin-liquid phase. Some of the considered elementary excitations were introduced first in our recent study of this system at $J_2=0$ using the BOT. In the stripe phase, we observe that the doubly degenerate magnon spectrum known from the spin-wave theory (SWT) is split by quantum fluctuations which are taken into account more accurately in the BOT. As compared with other known findings of the SWT in the stripe state, we observe additional spin-1 and spin-0 quasiparticles which give visible anomalies in the transverse and longitudinal DSFs. We obtain also a special spin-0 quasiparticle named singlon who produces a peak only in four-spin correlator and who is invisible in the longitudinal DSF. We show that the singlon spectrum lies below energies of all spin-0 and spin-1 excitations in some parts of the Brillouin zone. Singlon spectrum at zero momentum can be probed by the Raman scattering.