Ground states of quantum kagome antiferromagnets in a magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper investigates the ground state characteristics of a quantum kagome antiferromagnet under a magnetic field, focusing on the stability of the 1/3 magnetization plateau and how lattice deformations influence it.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how lattice modifications affect the stability of magnetization plateaus in quantum kagome antiferromagnets.

Findings

The 1/3 magnetization plateau is stabilized by certain lattice deformations.

Ground state correlations differ significantly in the undistorted SU(2) case.

Structural defect lines reinforce the magnetization plateau.

Abstract

We study the ground state properties of a quantum antiferromagnet in the kagome lattice in the presence of a magnetic field, paying particular attention to the stability of the plateau at magnetization 1/3 of saturation. While the plateau is reinforced by certain deformations of the lattice, like the introduction of structural defect lines and against an Ising anisotropy, ground state correlations are seen to be quite different and the undistorted SU(2) case appears to be rather special.