Variational Monte Carlo study of generalized flux phases in the t-J model.

Abstract

We study wave functions for generalized flux phases by the variational Monte Carlo method. Flux tubes are attached to the holes, which produce additional phase factors besides those due to the motion of electrons. The phase factors cancel each other when the electrons and holes interchange position at some special electron densities and, as a result, there are no orbital currents in these states. We investigate especially the one-third filled case and find a slightly lower kinetic energy than the original commensurate flux phase. We also calculate the chirality to confirm that time-reversal symmetry is also broken in these states. The analogy to the quantum-Hall-effect wave functions leads us to study modified forms of off-diagonal long-range order in the pair-correlation function. The existence of this long-range order is shown explicitly by variational Monte Carlo calculations and renormalized mean-field approximations. The flux phases do not have the usual off-diagonal long-range order but do have a modified form similar to that in the quantum Hall effect. The relationships to the slave-boson mean-field theories and anyon systems are also discussed.