UC Irvine

Selection of the ground state of the kagome-lattice XXZ antiferromagnet by quantum fluctuations is investigated by combining nonlinear spin-wave and real-space perturbation theories. The two methods unanimously favor q=0 over sqrt[3]×sqrt[3] magnetic order in a wide range of the anisotropy parameter 0≤Δ≲0.72. Both approaches are also in accord on the magnitude of the quantum order-by-disorder effect generated by topologically nontrivial, looplike spin-flip processes. A tentative S-Δ phase diagram of the model is proposed.