Magnetization plateaux induced by a coupling to the lattice

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how coupling a frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain to lattice vibrations can stabilize magnetization plateaux at rational values, combining field theory and advanced numerical methods.

Contribution

It introduces a model showing lattice coupling induces magnetization plateaux, using a combination of field theoretic and DMRG techniques with self-consistent lattice distortions.

Findings

Magnetization plateaux are stabilized by lattice coupling.

The model applies to low-dimensional frustrated spin-Peierls compounds.

Advanced numerical methods confirm the theoretical predictions.

Abstract

We investigate a simple model of a frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain coupled to adiabatic phonons under an external magnetic field. Using field theoretic methods complemented by extensive Density Matrix Renormalisation Group techniques generalized to include self-consistent lattice distortions, we show that magnetization plateaux at non-trivial rational values of the magnetization can be stabilized by the lattice coupling. We suggest that such a scenario could be relevant for some low dimensional frustrated spin-Peierls compounds.