Highest weight state description of the isotropic spin-1 chain

Abstract

We introduce an overcomplete highest weight state basis as a calculational tool for the description of the isotropic spin-1 chain with bilinear exchange coupling J1 and biquadratic coupling J2. The ground state can be expressed exactly at the three special points in the phase diagram where the Hamiltonian corresponds to a sum of nearest neighbor total spin projection operators (J1=0>J2, J1=-J2<0, and J1=-J2/3<0). In particular, at the phase transition point J1=-J2<0 it is possible to exactly compute the ground states, excited states, expectation values, and correlation functions by using the new total spin basis.