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The antiferromagnetic cross-coupled spin ladder: quantum fidelity and tensor networks approach

We investigate the phase diagram of the cross-coupled Heisenberg spin ladder with antiferromagnetic couplings. For this model there have been conflicting results for the existence of the columnar dimer phase, which was predicted on the basis of weak coupling field theory renormalisation group arguments. The numerical work on this model has been based on various approaches, including exact diagonalization, series expansions and density-matrix renormalization group calculations. Using the recently developed tensor network states and ground-state fidelity approach for quantum spin ladders we find no evidence for the existence of the columnar dimer phase. We also provide an argument based on the symmetry of the Hamiltonian which suggests that the phase diagram for antiferromagnetic couplings consists of a single line separating the rung-singlet and Haldane phases.