Magnetic phases of orbital bipartite optical lattices

Abstract

In the Hamburg cold atom experiment with orbital states in an optical lattice, $s$- and $p$-orbital atomic states hybridize between neighbouring sites. In this work we show how this alternation of sites hosting $s$- and $p$-orbital states gives rise to a plethora of different magnetic phases, quantum and classical. We focus on phases whose properties derive from frustration originating from a competition between nearest and next nearest neighbouring exchange interactions. The physics of the Mott insulating phase with unit filling is described by an effective spin-1/2 Hamiltonian showing great similarities with the $J_1$-$J_2$ model. Based on the knowledge of the $J_1$-$J_2$ model, together with numerical simulations, we discuss the possibility of realising a quantum spin liquid phase in the present optical lattice system. In the superfluid regime we consider the parameter regime where the $s$-orbital states can be adiabatically eliminated to give an effective model for the $p$-orbital atoms. At the mean-field level we derive a generalized classical $XY$ model, and show that it may support maximum frustration. When quantum fluctuations can be disregarded, the ground state is expected to be a spin glass. Even with quantum fluctuations present it has been debated whether a spin liquid may persist at the point of full frustration.

27 pages