FRACTIONALLY CHARGED EXCITATIONS ON FRUSTRATED LATTICES

Abstract

Systems of strongly correlated fermions on certain geometrically frustrated lattices at particular filling factors support excitations with fractional charges ±e/2. We calculate quantum mechanical ground states, low–lying excitations and spectral functions of finite lattices by means of numerical diagonalization. The ground state of the most thorough-fully studied case, the criss-crossed checkerboard lattice, is degenerate and shows long–range order. Static fractional charges are confined by a weak linear force, most probably leading to bound states of large spatial extent. Consequently, the quasi-particle weight is reduced, which reflects the internal dynamics of the fractionally charged excitations. By using an additional parameter, we fine–tune the system to a special point at which fractional charges are manifestly deconfined—the so–called Rokhsar–Kivelson point. For a deeper understanding of the low–energy physics of these models and for numerical advantages, several conserved quantum numbers are identified.