Kinetic obstruction to pairing in the doped Kitaev-Heisenberg ladder

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Pandey, Bradraj, Xiao, Bo, Okamoto, Satoshi, Alvarez, Gonzalo, Halász, Gábor B., Dagotto, Elbio, Laurell, Pontus
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Pandey, Bradraj
Xiao, Bo
Okamoto, Satoshi
Alvarez, Gonzalo
Halász, Gábor B.
Dagotto, Elbio
Laurell, Pontus
author_facet Pandey, Bradraj
Xiao, Bo
Okamoto, Satoshi
Alvarez, Gonzalo
Halász, Gábor B.
Dagotto, Elbio
Laurell, Pontus
contents We investigate the hole-doped Kitaev-Heisenberg ($t$-$J$-$K$) model on a two-leg ladder geometry using the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG). We first consider the behavior of the antiferromagnetic Kitaev (AFK) spin-liquid phase as a function of hopping strength $t$ and doping level. This reveals intriguing pairing tendencies only for $\frac{t}{K} \lesssim 0.65$, consistent with prior results on three-leg ladders, and firmly supports the emerging picture that the physics of doped Kitaev spin liquids strongly depends on the kinetic energy of the doped holes. Analysis of one- and two-hole doping uncovers close links between the spatial profiles of the plaquette operator and the charge density. We construct a doping-dependent phase diagram for antiferromagnetic Heisenberg interactions and intermediate hopping $t=1$. Upon doping, the rung-singlet region develops dominant superconducting correlations. Charge-density-wave correlations dominate at weak doping near the transition to the stripy phase. Spin-density wave-like behavior is found in the AFK and ferromagnetic Kitaev limits, and in the stripy phase.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_12198
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Kinetic obstruction to pairing in the doped Kitaev-Heisenberg ladder
Pandey, Bradraj
Xiao, Bo
Okamoto, Satoshi
Alvarez, Gonzalo
Halász, Gábor B.
Dagotto, Elbio
Laurell, Pontus
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Superconductivity
We investigate the hole-doped Kitaev-Heisenberg ($t$-$J$-$K$) model on a two-leg ladder geometry using the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG). We first consider the behavior of the antiferromagnetic Kitaev (AFK) spin-liquid phase as a function of hopping strength $t$ and doping level. This reveals intriguing pairing tendencies only for $\frac{t}{K} \lesssim 0.65$, consistent with prior results on three-leg ladders, and firmly supports the emerging picture that the physics of doped Kitaev spin liquids strongly depends on the kinetic energy of the doped holes. Analysis of one- and two-hole doping uncovers close links between the spatial profiles of the plaquette operator and the charge density. We construct a doping-dependent phase diagram for antiferromagnetic Heisenberg interactions and intermediate hopping $t=1$. Upon doping, the rung-singlet region develops dominant superconducting correlations. Charge-density-wave correlations dominate at weak doping near the transition to the stripy phase. Spin-density wave-like behavior is found in the AFK and ferromagnetic Kitaev limits, and in the stripy phase.
title Kinetic obstruction to pairing in the doped Kitaev-Heisenberg ladder
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
Superconductivity
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.12198