String Picture of a Frustrated Quantum Magnet and Dimer Model

We map a geometrically frustrated Ising system with transversal field generated quantum dynamics to a strongly anisotropic lattice of non-crossing elastic strings. The combined effect of frustration, quantum and thermal spin fluctuations is explained in terms of a competition between intrinsic lattice pinning of strings and topological defects in the lattice. From this picture we obtain analytic results for correlations and the phase diagram which agree nicely with recent simulations.