Classical and quantum phases of the pyrochlore $S=1/2$ magnet with Heisenberg and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions

Abstract

We investigate the ground state and critical temperature phase diagrams of the classical and quantum $S=1/2$ pyrochlore lattice with nearest-neighbor Heisenberg and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI). We consider ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange as well as direct and indirect DMI. Classically, three ground states are found: all-in/all-out, ferromagnetic and a locally ordered $XY$ phase, known as $Γ_5$, which displays an accidental classical U(1) degeneracy. Quantum zero-point energy fluctuations are found to lift the classical ground state degeneracy and select the $ψ_3$ state in most parts of the $Γ_5$ regime. Likewise, thermal fluctuations treated classically, select the $ψ_3$ state at $T=0^+$. In contrast, classical Monte Carlo finds that the system orders at $T_c$ in the $ψ_2$ state of $Γ_5$ for antiferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange and indirect DMI with a transition from $ψ_2$ to $ψ_3$ at a temperature $T_{Γ_5} <T_c$. The same method finds that the system orders via a single transition at $T_c$ directly into the $ψ_3$ state for most of the region with ferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange and indirect DMI. Such ordering behavior at $T_c$ for the $S=1/2$ quantum model is corroborated by high-temperature series expansion. To investigate the $T=0$ quantum ground states, we apply the pseudo-fermion functional renormalization group (PFFRG). The quantum paramagnetic phase of the pure antiferromagnetic $S=1/2$ Heisenberg model is found to persist over a finite region in the phase diagram for both direct or indirect DMI. We find that near the boundary of ferromagnetism and $Γ_5$ antiferromagnetism the system may potentially realize a quantum ground state lacking conventional magnetic order. Otherwise, for the largest portion of the phase diagram, PFFRG finds the same ordered phases as in the classical model.