Random-exchange disorder in the spin-1/2 XXZ chain

The one-dimensional XXZ model is studied in the presence of disorder in the Heisenberg exchange integral. Recent predictions obtained from renormalization-group calculations are investigated numerically using a Lanczos algorithm on chains of up to 18 sites. It is found that in the presence of strong X-Y-symmetric random-exchange couplings, a ‘‘random singlet’’ phase with quasi-long-range order in the spin-spin correlations persists. As the planar anisotropy is varied, the full zero-temperature phase diagram is obtained and compared with predictions of Doty and Fisher [Phys. Rev. B 45, 2167 (1992)]. In addition, we observed a novel reentrant transition of the ordered phases when exchange disorder is included.