The quantum spin-1/2 J1-J2 antiferromagnet on a stacked square lattice: a study of effective-field theory in a finite...

The ground state phase diagram of the quantum spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet in the presence of nearest-neighbor (J(1)) and next-nearest-neighbor (J(2)) interactions (J(1)-J(2) model) on a stacked square lattice, where we introduce an interlayer coupling through nearest-neighbor bonds of strength J(), is studied within the framework of the differential operator technique. The Hamiltonian is solved by effective-field theory in a cluster with N=4 spins (EFT-4). We obtain the sublattice magnetization m(A) for the ordered phases: antiferromagnetic (AF) and collinear (CAF-collinear antiferromagnetic). We propose a functional for the free energy Ψ(μ)(m(μ)) (μ=A, B) to obtain the phase diagram in the λ-α plane, where λ=J()/J(1) and α=J(2)/J(1). Depending on the values of λ and α, we found different ordered states (AF and CAF) and a disordered state (quantum paramagnetic (QP)). For an intermediate region α(1c)(λ) < α < α(2c)(λ) we observe a QP phase that disappears for λ below some critical value λ(1)≈0.67. For α < α(1c)(λ) and α > α(2c)(λ), and below λ(1), we have the AF and CAF semi-classically ordered states, respectively. At α=α(1c)(λ) a second-order transition between the AF and QP states occurs and at α=α(2c)(λ) a first-order transition between the AF and CAF phases takes place. The boundaries between these ordered phases merge at the critical end point CEP≡(λ(1), α(c)), where α(c)≈0.56. Above this CEP there is again a direct first-order transition between the AF and CAF phases, with a behavior described by the point α(c) independent of λ ≥ λ(1).