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Quantum criticality in the SO(5) bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg chain

F. Alet, S. Capponi, H. Nonne, P. Lecheminant, and I. P. McCulloch
Phys. Rev. B 83, 060407(R) – Published 22 February 2011

Abstract

The zero-temperature properties of the SO(5) bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg chain are investigated by means of a low-energy approach and large-scale numerical calculations. In sharp contrast to the spin-1 SO(3) Heisenberg chain, we show that the SO(5) Heisenberg chain is dimerized with a twofold degenerate ground state. On top of this gapful phase, we find the emergence of a nondegenerate gapped phase with hidden (Z2×Z2)2 symmetry and spin-3/2 edge states that can be understood from a SO(5) AKLT wave function. We derive a low-energy theory describing the quantum critical point which separates these two gapped phases. It is shown and confirmed numerically that this quantum critical point belongs to the SO(5)1 universality class.

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  • Received 24 November 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.83.060407

©2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

F. Alet1, S. Capponi1, H. Nonne2, P. Lecheminant2, and I. P. McCulloch3

  • 1Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, CNRS UMR 5152, Université Paul Sabatier, F-31062 Toulouse, France
  • 2Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modélisation, CNRS UMR 8089, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, Site de Saint-Martin, F-95300 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France
  • 3School of Physical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia

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Issue

Vol. 83, Iss. 6 — 1 February 2011

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