Hidden symmetries of the extended Kitaev-Heisenberg model: Implications for the honeycomb-lattice iridates A2IrO3

We have explored the hidden symmetries of a generic four-parameter nearest-neighbor spin model, allowed in honeycomb-lattice compounds under trigonal compression. Our method utilizes a systematic algorithm to identify all dual transformations of the model that map the Hamiltonian on itself, changing the parameters and providing exact links between different points in its parameter space. We have found the complete set of points of hidden SU(2) symmetry at which a seemingly highly anisotropic model can be mapped back on the Heisenberg model and inherits therefore its properties such as the presence of gapless Goldstone modes. The procedure used to search for the hidden symmetries is quite general and may be extended to other bond-anisotropic spin models and other lattices, such as the triangular, kagome, hyperhoneycomb, or harmonic-honeycomb lattices. We apply our findings to the honeycomb-lattice iridates Na2IrO3 and Li2IrO3, and illustrate how they help to identify plausible values of the model parameters that are compatible with the available experimental data.