Magnetization plateaus and sublattice ordering in easy axis Kagome lattice antiferromagnets

We study kagome lattice antiferromagnets where the effects of easy axis single-ion anisotropy ($D$) dominates over the Heisenberg exchange $J$. For $S \ge 3/2$, virtual quantum fluctuations help lift the extensive classical degeneracy. We demonstrate the presence of a one-third magnetization plateau for a broad range of magnetic fields $J^3\mathrm{/}{D}^2\lesssim B\lesssim JS$ along the easy axis. The fully equilibriated system at low temperature on this plateau develops an unusual {\em nematic} order that breaks sublattice rotation symmetry but not translation symmetry–however, extremely slow dynamics associated with this ordering is expected to lead to glassy freezing of the system on intermediate time-scales.