= Spin ladder
A <spin ladder> is a system of coupled chains of <spins>, with interactions along the chains and between neighboring chains. The chains are called legs and their transverse couplings are called rungs; the model provides a controlled step between one-dimensional and two-dimensional magnetism.
In a two-leg spin-$1/2$ ladder with strongly antiferromagnetic rung coupling, pairs on each rung approximately form singlets. Exciting a rung to a triplet costs finite <energy>, illustrating a possible <spin gap>. Different couplings and leg numbers need not share that behavior. Magnetic response and excitation spectra test the model rather than the ladder geometry alone fixing the <ground state>.
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