Spin-$s$ model with competing interactions on diamond-decorated lattices

Abstract: We investigate the ground state properties, magnetization, and low-temperature thermodynamics of the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic spin-$s$ model on diamond-decorated lattices with ideal diamond units, incorporating bilinear Heisenberg and higher-order exchange interactions between diagonal spins-$σ$. Local conservation of the composite spin on each diamond diagonal enables exact analysis. For the pure Heisenberg case, the system undergoes a series of $2σ$ transitions between monomer-dimer (MD), ferrimagnetic (Ferri) and ferromagnetic (F) phases with different optimal composite spin values as the coupling ratio varies. In the presence of higher-order interactions, a multicritical point exists where the states with all possible values of composite spin are degenerate, leading to maximal ground state degeneracy. The case $s=σ=1$ with bilinear and biquadratic interactions is studied in detail. Its phase diagram comprises three phases - F, Ferri and MD, which meet at a triple point. On the phase boundaries, the ground state becomes macroscopically degenerate. For the diamond chain, we calculate the ground state degeneracy exactly; for higher dimensions, the problem maps onto a bond percolation framework, solved numerically. The residual entropy per spin reaches up to $60\%$ of the maximal value, peaking at the triple point. Low-temperature magnetization curves in external magnetic fields exhibit plateaus and jumps. The excitation spectrum is gapped in the MD phase, gapless in the F phase, and resembles that of the Lieb-Mattis ferrimagnet in the Ferri phase. The high residual entropy suggests potential applications in ultra-low-temperature cooling and quantum thermal machines.