Real-space renormalization-group study of the phase diagram of two coupled quantum spin-1/2 chains.

Abstract

We investigate the phase diagram of two coupled quantum spin-1/2 chains, a square ladder, allowing for anisotropies both in the interchain and intrachain coupling, using the recently introduced density-matrix renormalization-group ~DMRG! algorithm. We consider open chains up to a length of 23200, while retaining up to 120 states in the truncated basis of the Hilbert space. The phase diagram is discussed in connection with exact results and bosonization analysis. Numerically, we show that the crossover from the critical behavior of the uncoupled disordered spin-1/2 chain to a gapped quantum liquid sets in for infinitesimal interchain coupling, both for ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interchain coupling. The Haldane phase of the coupled chains is, even for small interchain couplings, generically described by the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki model. We also discuss typical shortcomings of the DMRG for some choices of the interaction parameters.