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6.

3 N&l Order versus Valence Bond States 333

vectors, and only the size of the order parameter is subject to quantum
correct ions.
Studying close-packed structures revealed the exciting phenomenon
of fluctuation-induced order, or “order through disorder”. The essence
of this phenomenon is that in certain situations where the classical vec-
tor model does not order even at T = 0, quantum fluctuations select an
ordered ground state if we make the spin finite. Let us illustrate this
by putting our isotropic three-site model in an external magnetic field.
The energy

(6.160)

is minimum if
H
SA + sg + sc = -
2J
. (6.161)

Specifying the directions of S A , Sg, and Sc requires six angles but


the vector equation (6.161) gives only three conditions. From the ax-
ial symmetry of the system, we expect that there is one angle variable
on which E does not depend: the angle of the simultaneous rotation
of the three spins about the field direction. However, we have just
found that there must be two more angles which can be continuously
varied (at least within a certain interval) without changing the energy,
This is referred to as the non-trivial continuous degeneracy4’. That
the degeneracy deserves the name non-trivial, is illustrated by Fig. 6.7
which shows that very dissimilar-looking configurations can be simul-
taneous ground states. Let us remember that these are only certain
extreme spin-arrangements, but they are continuously connected via
other ground states.
It would be difficult to claim direct physical insight into why this
should be so; it can only be found by the careful solution of the problem.
It should serve as a warning that when we are faced with a problem
like that of minimizing (6.160), we should not be too ready to select a
481n contrast, the continuous degeneracy related to global rotations may be called
trivial.

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