Interaction-driven phases in the half-filled honeycomb lattice: An infinite density matrix renormalization group study

Abstract

The emergence of the Haldane Chern insulator state due to strong short-range repulsive interactions in the half-filled fermionic spinless honeycomb lattice model has been proposed and challenged with different methods and yet it still remains controversial. In this work we revisit the problem using the infinite density matrix renormalization group method and report numerical evidence supporting (i) the absence of the Chern insulator state, (ii) two previously unnoticed charge ordered phases, and (iii) the existence and stability of all the nontopological competing orders that were found previously within mean field. In addition, we discuss the nature of the corresponding phase transitions based on our numerical data. Our work establishes the phase diagram of the half-filled honeycomb lattice model, tilting the balance towards the absence of a Chern insulator phase for this model.