Possible Existence Of Topological Excitations In Quantum Spin Models In Low Dimensions

Abstract

The possibility of existence of topological excitations in the anisotropic quantum Heisenberg model in one and two spatial dimensions is studied using coherent state method. It is found that a part of the Wess-Zumino term contributes to the partition function, as a topological term for ferromagnets in the long wavelength limit in both one and two dimensions. In particular, the XY limit of the two-dimensional anisotropic ferromagnet is shown to retain the topological excitations, as expected from the quantum Kosterlitz-Thouless scenario.