Thermodynamic and diamagnetic properties of weakly doped antiferromagnets

The finite-temperature properties of weakly doped antiferromagnets as modeled by the two-dimensional t-J model and relevant to underdoped cuprates are investigated by numerical studies of small model systems at low doping. Two numerical methods are used: the world line quantum Monte Carlo method with a loop cluster algorithm and the finite-temperature Lanczos method, yielding consistent results. The thermodynamic quantities—specific heat, entropy, and spin susceptibility—reveal a sizable perturbation induced by holes introduced into a magnetic insulator, as well as a pronounced temperature dependence. The diamagnetic susceptibility introduced by a coupling of the magnetic field to the orbital current reveals an anomalous temperature dependence, changing character from diamagnetic to paramagnetic at intermediate temperatures.