Classical dimers and dimerized superstructure in an orbitally degenerate honeycomb antiferromagnet.
We discuss the ground state of the spin-orbital model for spin-one ions with partially filled t_{2g} levels on a honeycomb lattice. We find that the orbital degrees of freedom induce a spontaneous dimerization of spins and drive them into nonmagnetic manifold spanned by hard-core dimer (spin-singlet) coverings of the lattice. The cooperative "dimer Jahn-Teller" effect is introduced through a magnetoelastic coupling and is shown to lift the orientational degeneracy of dimers leading to a peculiar valence bond crystal pattern. The present theory provides a theoretical explanation of nonmagnetic dimerized superstructure experimentally seen in Li2RuO3 compound at low temperatures.
Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
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Jackeli
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Khomskii