On the ground state properties of the anisotropic triangular antiferromagnet

Abstract

Our aim is to present further evidence supporting a recent suggestion by Anderson (1973) that the ground state of the triangular antiferromagnet is different from the conventional three-sublattice Néel state. The anisotropic Heisenberg model is investigated. Near the Ising limit a peculiar, possibly liquid-like state is found to be energetically more favourable than the Néel-state. It seems to be probable that this type of ground state prevails in the anisotropy region between the Ising model and the isotropic Heisenberg model. The implications for the applicability of the resonating valence bond picture to the S = ½ antiferromagnets are also discussed.