Ordered phases of XXZ-symmetric spin-1/2 zigzag ladder

TL;DR

This paper uses bosonization to analyze the phase diagram of XXZ-symmetric spin-1/2 zigzag ladders, revealing a wide spin nematic phase with various critical and massive states, and identifying topological excitations.

Contribution

It introduces an effective low-energy theory for zigzag ladders and explores the emergence of a broad spin nematic phase with detailed phase crossover analysis.

Findings

Identification of a wide spin nematic phase

Discussion of phase crossovers between dimerized and nematic states

Characterization of topological excitations in all phases

Abstract

Using bosonization approach, we derive an effective low-energy theory for XXZ-symmetric spin-1/2 zigzag ladders and discuss its phase diagram by a variational approach. A spin nematic phase emerges in a wide part of the phase diagram, either critical or massive. Possible crossovers between the spontaneously dimerized and spin nematic phases are discussed, and the topological excitations in all phases identified.