Symmetry-protected trivial phases and quantum phase transitions in an anisotropic antiferromagnetic spin-1 biquadratic model

Understand

The ground state phase diagram is obtained for an antiferromagnetic spin-1 anisotropic biquadratic model.

• With the help of symmetry and duality transformations, three symmetry-protected trivial phases and one dimerized symmetry breaking phase are found.
• Local and nonlocal order parameters are identified to characterize these phases.
• Quantum phase transitions between the symmetry-protected trivial phases belong to the Gaussian universality class with central charge c = 1, and quantum phase transitions from the symmetry-protected trivial phases to the dimerized phase belong to the Ising universality class with central charge c = 1/2.