One-Third Magnetization Plateau in an Anisotropic (S,S')=(1,2) Spin-Alternating Chain

Abstract

Employing numerical methods, we study the ground-state magnetization curve of a ( S , S ')=(1,2) spin-alternating chain with uniaxial single-ion anisotropies, where S =1 and S '=2 spins are alternating and coupled antiferromagnetically. Special attention is paid to the magnetization plateau, the one-third plateau, which appears at one third of the saturation magnetization in the ground-state magnetization curve. We find that three kinds of one-third plateaux appear, one of which has a quantum nature, while the remaining two have a classical (Ising) nature. We determine the one-third plateau phase diagram on the D 2 versus D 1 plane, where D 1 ( D 2 ) is the ratio of the single-ion anisotropy constant for the S =1 ( S '=2) spin to the exchange interaction constant. This phase diagram consists of a phase boundary line between the quantum and classical one-third plateau states as well as three phase boundary lines between the one-third plateau and plateauless states. We emphasize that there is no phase trans...