Magnetization processes in quantum spin chains with regularly alternating intersite interactions

Abstract

We consider the dependence magnetization vs. field at zero temperature for the spin-1/2 chains in which the intersite interactions regularly vary from site to site with a period p. In the limiting case when the smallest value of the intersite interactions tends to zero the chain splits into noninteracting identical fragments of p sites and the dependence magnetization vs. field can be examined rigorously. We demonstrate explicitly the appearance of plateaus in such dependence and discuss a presence of the magnetization values m predicted by the condition p(1/2-m)=integer [1]. We comment on the influence of the anisotropy in the interspin interaction on the magnetization profiles. Finally, we show how the case of nonzero smallest value of the intersite interactions can be considered.