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A two-dimensional spin liquid in quantum kagome ice

Author

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  • Juan Carrasquilla

    (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

  • Zhihao Hao

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Roger G. Melko

    (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
    University of Waterloo)

Abstract

Actively sought since the turn of the century, two-dimensional quantum spin liquids (QSLs) are exotic phases of matter where magnetic moments remain disordered even at zero temperature. Despite ongoing searches, QSLs remain elusive, due to a lack of concrete knowledge of the microscopic mechanisms that inhibit magnetic order in materials. Here we study a model for a broad class of frustrated magnetic rare-earth pyrochlore materials called quantum spin ices. When subject to an external magnetic field along the [111] crystallographic direction, the resulting interactions contain a mix of geometric frustration and quantum fluctuations in decoupled two-dimensional kagome planes. Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we identify a set of interactions sufficient to promote a groundstate with no magnetic long-range order, and a gap to excitations, consistent with a Z2 spin liquid phase. This suggests an experimental procedure to search for two-dimensional QSLs within a class of pyrochlore quantum spin ice materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Carrasquilla & Zhihao Hao & Roger G. Melko, 2015. "A two-dimensional spin liquid in quantum kagome ice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8421
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8421
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