Alternating-spin S = 3/2 and σ = 1/2 Heisenberg chain with isotropic three-body exchange interactions

Abstract

The promotion of collinear classical spin configurations as well as the enhanced tendencytowards nearest-neighbor clustering of the quantum spins are typical features of thefrustrating isotropic three-body exchange interactions in Heisenberg spin systems. Basedon numerical density-matrix renormalization group calculations, we demonstrate that theseextra interactions in the Heisenberg chain constructed from alternating S = 3/2 and σ = 1/2 site spins can generate numerous specific quantum spinstates, including some partially-polarized ferrimagnetic states as well as adoubly-degenerate non-magnetic gapped phase. In the non-magnetic region of the phasediagram, the model describes a crossover between the spin-1 and spin-2 Haldane-typestates.