Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We study magnets composed of molecules with atoms interacting via $SU(N)$-invariant two-body interactions. Atoms carry states transforming in generically different irreducible representations of $SU(N)$, and the interaction strength between atoms depends on the specific atoms involved. We derive the thermodynamics of these magnets in the mean-field approach, and find that they can exhibit mixed ferro-antiferromagnetic behavior. We present a full analysis of the simplest nontrivial case of molecules consisting of two atoms in the spin-$j$ representation of $SU(2)$, which generalizes conventional magnetic systems, and derive its phase structure and transitions.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institution: City College of New York
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221053685