Energy dynamics in the Heisenberg-Kitaev chain

Abstract

We study the Heisenberg-Kitaev chain in order to uncover the interplay between two qualitatively different integrable points in the physics of heat transport in one dimension. Focusing on high temperatures and using analytical as well as numerical approaches within linear response theory, we explore several directions in parameter space including exchange-coupling ratios, anisotropies, and external magnetic fields. We show the emergence of purely ballistic energy transport at all integrable points, manifest in pronounced Drude weights and low-frequency suppression of regular-conductivity contributions. Moreover, off integrability, we find extended quantum chaotic regions with vanishing Drude weights and well-defined DC conductivities. In the vicinity of the Kitaev point, we observe clear signatures of the topological gap in the response function. This gap coexists with a nonzero Drude weight in the Kitaev chain.

7 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B

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Cited by in corpus (12)

• Finite-temperature transport in one-dimensional quantum lattice models
• Thermal Transport in the Kitaev Model
• Unveiling the phase diagram of a bond-alternating spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ $K$-$\Gamma$ chain
• Thermal transport in a two-dimensional ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ spin liquid
• Ordered states in the Kitaev-Heisenberg model: From 1D chains to 2D honeycomb
• Heat transport in the anisotropic Kitaev spin liquid
• Thermal Transport in a one-dimensional Z${}_2$ Spin Liquid
• Flux mobility delocalization in the Kitaev spin ladder
• Exact zero modes in a quantum compass chain under inhomogeneous transverse fields
• Insights into the Anisotropic Spin-$S$ Kitaev Chain
• Emergent phases in a compass chain with multisite interactions
• Energy dynamics in a generalized compass chain