  Using series expansion based on the flow equation method we study the zero
temperature properties of the spin-1/2 planar pyrochlore antiferromagnet in the
limit of strong diagonal coupling. Starting from the limit of decoupled crossed
dimers we analyze the evolution of the ground state energy and the elementary
triplet excitations in terms of two coupling constants describing the inter
dimer exchange. In the limit of weakly coupled spin-1/2 chains we find that the
fully frustrated inter chain coupling is critical, forcing a dimer phase which
adiabatically connects to the state of isolated dimers. This result is
consistent with findings by O. Starykh, A. Furusaki and L. Balents (Phys. Rev.
B 72, 094416 (2005)) which is inconsistent with a two-dimensional sliding
Luttinger liquid phase at finite inter chain coupling.
