Eur. Phys. J. B 69, 491-498 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2009-00197-0

Physical realization and possible identification of topological excitations in quantum Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet on a two dimensional lattice

S. N. Bose National Centre For Basic Sciences, Block-JD, Sector-III, Salt Lake, Calcutta, 700098, India

Corresponding authors: ^a ranjan_021258@yahoo.com ranjan@boson.bose.res.in - ^b smr@boson.bose.res.in

Received: 17 September 2008
Revised: 29 April 2009
Published online: 9 June 2009

Abstract

Physical spin configurations corresponding to topological excitations, expected to be present in the XY limit of a quantum spin 1/2 Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet, are probed on a two dimensional square lattice. Quantum vortices (anti-vortices) are constructed in terms of coherent staggered spin field components, as limiting case of meronic (anti-meronic) configurations. The crucial role of the associated Wess-Zumino-like (WZ-like) term is highlighted in our procedure. The time evolution equation of coherent spin fields used in this analysis is obtained by applying variational principle on the quantum Euclidean action corresponding to the Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet on lattice. It is shown that the WZ-like term can distinguish between vortices and anti-vortices only in a charge sector with odd topological charges. Our formalism is distinctly different from the conventional approach for the construction of quantum vortices (anti-vortices).