Phase diagram and quantum order by disorder in the Kitaev $K_1$-$K_2$ honeycomb magnet

ORAL

Abstract

We show that the topological Kitaev spin liquid on the honeycomb lattice is extremely fragile against the second neighbor Kitaev coupling $K_2$, which has been recently identified as the dominant perturbation away from the nearest neighbor model in iridate Na$_2$IrO$_3$, and may also play a role in $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$. This coupling explains naturally the zig-zag ordering and the special entanglement between real and spin space observed recently in Na$_2$IrO$_3$. The minimal $K_1$-$K_2$ model that we present here holds in addition the unique property that the classical and quantum phase diagrams and their respective order-by-disorder mechanisms are qualitatively different due to their fundamentally different symmetry structure.

*NSF DMR-1511768; Freie Univ. Berlin Excellence Initiative of German Research Foundation; European Research Council, ERC-StG-336012; DFG-SFB 1170; DFG-SFB 1143, DFG-SPP 1666, and Helmholtz association VI-521.

Authors

  • Ioannis Rousochatzakis

    • Univ of Minn - Minneapolis
  • Johannes Reuther

    • Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universit\"at Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
  • Ronny Thomale

    • Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of W\"urzburg, 97074 W\"urzburg, Germany
    • Univ of Wuerzburg
  • Stephan Rachel

    • TU Dresden
    • Institute for Theoretical Physics, Technische Universit\"at Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
  • Natalia Perkins

    • Univ of Minnesota, Minneapolis
    • Univ of Minn - Minneapolis