Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026

Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
Phase-space networks and connectivity of the kagome antiferromagnet
Brandon B Le1, Seung-Hun Lee1, Gia-Wei Chern1
1University of Virginia, Department of Physics, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA.
Abstract:
We study the coplanar ground-state manifold of the kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet using a phase-space network representation, in which nodes correspond to coplanar ground states and edges represent transitions generated by weathervane loop rotations. In the coplanar manifold, each configuration can be mapped to a three-coloring problem on the dual honeycomb lattice, where a weathervane mode corresponds to a closed loop of two alternating colors. By comparing networks that include all weathervane loops with networks restricted to elementary six-spin loops, we examine how energetic constraints shape phase-space structure. We find that connectivity distributions are sharply peaked in large systems, while restrictions to short loops reduce typical connectivity. Spectral properties further distinguish the two cases, with short-loop networks exhibiting Gaussian spectra and full networks displaying non-Gaussian features associated with correlated loop updates. Finally, a box-counting analysis reveals distinct finite-size geometric trends: short-loop networks show algebraic, fractal-like behavior, whereas full networks are more compact in graph distance due to longer-loop shortcuts. These results show that the hierarchy of weathervane loop rotations provides a direct link between microscopic constraints and emergent phase-space geometry in a frustrated magnet.
Related Concept Videos
Network Covalent Solids
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
Ferromagnetism
Diamagnetism
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets.
Spin–Spin Coupling Constant: Overview
Qualitatively, any spin plus-half nucleus polarizes the spins of its electrons to the minus-half state. Consequently, the paired electron in the hydrogen–carbon bond must have a...
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
Magnetism
An individual magnetic pole cannot be isolated. No matter how small, every piece of a magnet contains a north pole and a south...

