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Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Claassen

    (Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University
    Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC & Stanford University)

  • Hong-Chen Jiang

    (Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC & Stanford University)

  • Brian Moritz

    (Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC & Stanford University)

  • Thomas P. Devereaux

    (Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC & Stanford University
    Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Stanford University)

Abstract

The search for quantum spin liquids in frustrated quantum magnets recently has enjoyed a surge of interest, with various candidate materials under intense scrutiny. However, an experimental confirmation of a gapped topological spin liquid remains an open question. Here, we show that circularly polarized light can provide a knob to drive frustrated Mott insulators into a chiral spin liquid, realizing an elusive quantum spin liquid with topological order. We find that the dynamics of a driven Kagome Mott insulator is well-captured by an effective Floquet spin model, with heating strongly suppressed, inducing a scalar spin chirality S i · (S j × S k ) term which dynamically breaks time-reversal while preserving SU(2) spin symmetry. We fingerprint the transient phase diagram and find a stable photo-induced chiral spin liquid near the equilibrium state. The results presented suggest employing dynamical symmetry breaking to engineer quantum spin liquids and access elusive phase transitions that are not readily accessible in equilibrium.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Claassen & Hong-Chen Jiang & Brian Moritz & Thomas P. Devereaux, 2017. "Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-00876-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00876-y
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