The antiferromagnetic XY model on the triangular lattice: chirality transitions at the surface scaling

Abstract

We study the discrete-to-continuum variational limit of the antiferromagnetic XY model on the two-dimensional triangular lattice. The system is fully frustrated and displays two families of ground states distinguished by the chirality of the spin field. We compute the Γ-limit of the energy in a regime which detects chirality transitions on one-dimensional interfaces between the two admissible chirality phases.