Field induced quantum spin liquid with spinon Fermi surfaces in the Kitaev model

ORAL

Abstract

Recent experimental evidence for a field-induced quantum spin liquid (QSL) in α-RuCl3 calls for an understanding for the ground state of honeycomb Kitaev model under a magnetic field. In this work we address the nature of an enigmatic gapless paramagnetic phase in the antiferromagnetic Kitave model, under an intermediate magnetic field perpendicular to the plane. Combining theoretical and numerical efforts, we identify this gapless phase as a U(1) QSL with spinon Fermi surfaces. We also reveal the nature of continuous quantum phase transitions involving this U(1) QSL, and obtain a phase diagram of the Kitaev model as a function of bond anisotropy and perpendicular magnetic field.

*This work is supported by NSF under award number DMR-1653769 (CYW,YML), by U.S.ARO (W911NF11-1-0230), AFOSR (FA9550-16-1-0006), MURI-ARO (W911NF-17-1-0323) (BH) , by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under Contract DE-AC02-76SF00515 (HCJ), and in part by NSF grant PHY-1607611 (YML).

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Presenters

  • Changyan Wang

    • Department of Physics, The Ohio State University

Authors

  • Hong-Chen Jiang

    • Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC and Stanford University
    • SIMES, SLAC, and Stanford University
    • SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
    • Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University

  • Changyan Wang

    • Department of Physics, The Ohio State University

  • Biao Huang

    • University of Pittsburgh
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh

  • Yuan-Ming Lu

    • Ohio State University
    • Physics, Ohio State University
    • Physics, OSU
    • Department of Physics, Ohio State University
    • Department of Physics, The Ohio State University
    • Deaprtment of Physics, Ohio State University