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Symmetry fractionalization in the topological phase of the spin-1/2 J(1)-J(2) triangular Heisenberg model
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Symmetry fractionalization in the topological phase of the spin-1/2 J(1)-J(2) triangular Heisenberg model

S. N. Saadatmand and I. P. McCulloch
Physical review. B, Vol.94(12), 121111
13/09/2016

Abstract

Materials Science Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Physical Sciences Physics Physics, Applied Physics, Condensed Matter Science & Technology Technology
Using density-matrix renormalization-group calculations for infinite cylinders, we elucidate the properties of the spin-liquid phase of the spin-1/2 J(1)-J(2) Heisenberg model on the triangular lattice. We find four distinct ground states characteristic of a nonchiral, Z(2) topologically ordered state with vison and spinon excitations. We shed light on the interplay of topological ordering and global symmetries in the model by detecting fractionalization of time-reversal and space-group dihedral symmetries in the anyonic sectors, which leads to the coexistence of symmetry protected and intrinsic topological order. The anyonic sectors, and information on the particle statistics, can be characterized by degeneracy patterns and symmetries of the entanglement spectrum. We demonstrate the ground states on finite-width cylinders are short-range correlated and gapped; however, some features in the entanglement spectrum suggest that the system develops gapless spinonlike edge excitations in the large-width limit.

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