Magnetization process and low-temperature thermodynamics of a spin-1/2 Heisenberg octahedral chain

Low-temperature magnetization curves and thermodynamics of a spin-1/2 Heisenberg octahedral chain with the intra-plaquette and monomer-plaquette interactions are examined within a two-component lattice-gas model of hard-core monomers, which takes into account all low-lying energy modes in a highly frustrated parameter space involving the monomer-tetramer, localized many-magnon and fully polarized ground states. It is shown that the developed lattice-gas model satisfactorily describes all pronounced features of the low-temperature magnetization process and the magneto-thermodynamics such as abrupt changes of the isothermal magnetization curves, a double-peak structure of the specific heat or a giant magnetocaloric effect.