Motion of a single hole in a resonating-valence-bond background: some exact results

Abstract

An antiferromagnetic spin model (S=1/2) consisting of a chain of octahedra is considered. In a certain parameter regime of the Hamiltonian the exact ground state is a local resonating-valence-bond (RVB) state. We start with the t-J Hamiltonian for this model describing a single hole in the system and derive exact ground and excited states of the Hamiltonian when the hole is static. The local spin distortion around a hole is termed a spin polaron. The dynamics of the hole is studied through construction of exact eigenstates describing spin polarons in extended states. Coherent states for all momentum wave vectors in the chain direction exist for certain spin polarons. In the Nagaoka limit, the RVB polaronic states have energy greater than that of the ferromagnetic state. For exchange interaction J≠ 0, the RVB states have lower energy. Other exact states obtained include states in which the hole motion is localized. Structural similarity of the present model to the arrangement of Cu spins in La₂CuO₄ is also highlighted.