Spin liquid phase in the semiclassical theory of the Heisenberg model on an anisotropic triangular lattice with ring exchange

Abstract: We investigate the effect of ring-exchange on the ground-state properties and magnetic excitations of the $S = 1/2$ Heisenberg model on the anisotropic triangular lattice with ring-exchange at $T = 0$ using linear spin-wave theory. Classically, we find stable N\'{e}el, spiral and collinear magnetically ordered phases. Upon including quantum fluctuations to the model, linear spin-wave theory shows that ring exchange induces a large quantum disordered region in the phase diagram, completely wiping out the classically stable collinear phase. Analysis of the spin-wave spectra for each of these three models demonstrates that the large spin-liquid phase observed in the full model is a direct manifestation of competing classical orders. To understand the origin of these competing phases we introduce models where either the four spin contributions from ring exchange, or the renormalization of the Heisenberg terms due to ring exchange are neglected. We find that these two terms favor rather different physics.