2024/10/15 by Singhania, Ayushi, Van Den Brink, Jeroen, Nishimoto, Satoshi
#530 #Anisotropy #Density matrix renormalization group #Ferromagnetic materials #Ferromagnetism #Ground state #Heisenberg models #Honeycomb materials #Honeycomb structures #Out-of-plane #Qualitative differences #Single ion anisotropy #Spin 1/2 #Spin liquid state #Spin moments #Statistical mechanics #Vortex flow #Vortex state
paper · doi:10.34657/15823
The search for Kitaev spin liquid states has recently broadened to include a number of honeycomb materials with integer spin moments. The qualitative difference with their spin-1/2 counterparts is the presence of single-ion anisotropy (SIA). This motivates our investigation of the effects of SIA on the ground state of the spin-1 Kitaev-Heisenberg (KH) model using the density-matrix renormalization group which allows construction of detailed phase diagrams around the Kitaev points. We demonstrate that positive out-of-plane SIA induces an in-plane vortex state without the need for off-diagonal interactions. Conversely, negative SIA facilitates the emergence of a ferromagnetic state in the presence of antiferromagnetic Heisenberg interactions, whereas a Néel state can emerge for ferromagnetic Heisenberg coupling. These findings, pertinent even for weak SIA, not only enhance our theoretical understanding of the spin-1 KH model but also suggest experimental prospects for observing these novel magnetic states in material realizations.