On the saw-tooth torque in anisotropic $j_{\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ magnets: Application to $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$

Abstract

The so-called "Kitaev candidate" materials based on $4d^5$ and $5d^5$ metals have recently emerged as magnetic systems displaying strongly anisotropic exchange interactions reminiscent of the Kitaev's honeycomb model. Recently, these materials have been shown to commonly display a distinct saw-tooth angular dependence of the magnetic torque over a wide range of magnetic fields. While higher order chiral spin interactions have been considered as a source of this observation, we show here that bilinear anisotropic interactions and/or $g$-anisotropy are each sufficient to explain the observed torque response, which may be distinguished on the basis of high-field measurements. These findings unify the understanding of magnetic torque experiments in a variety of Kitaev candidate materials.

v3 includes a more explicit discussion of the different field regions and a more general ansatz for the scaling behaviour. Updated Supplemental Information included

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Cited by in corpus (22)

• Ferromagnetic Kitaev interaction and the origin of large magnetic anisotropy in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Electronic properties of α-RuCl3 in proximity to graphene
• High-Field Quantum Disordered State in $\alpha$-RuCl3: Spin Flips, Bound States, and a Multi-Particle Continuum
• Beyond Kitaev physics in strong spin-orbit coupled magnets
• Thermodynamic perspective on the field-induced behavior of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Scale-invariant magnetic anisotropy in RuCl${}_3$ at high magnetic fields
• Magnetoelastic coupling and effects of uniaxial strain in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ from first principles
• Kitaev honeycomb models in magnetic fields: Dynamical response and hidden symmetries
• Angle-dependent thermodynamics of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Identification of a Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquid by Magnetic Field Angle Dependence
• Investigation of the magnetoelastic coupling anisotropy in the Kitaev material $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Kitaev magnetism through the prism of lithium iridate
• Possible Intermediate Quantum Spin Liquid Phase in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ under High Magnetic Fields up to 100 T
• Honeycomb rare-earth magnets with anisotropic exchange interactions
• Testing Ising Topological Order in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ Under In-Plane Magnetic Fields
• Reentrant incommensurate order and anomalous magnetic torque in the Kitaev magnet $\beta$-${\text{Li}}_2{\text{IrO}}_3$
• Unconventional magnetic field response of the hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet $\beta -{\text{Li}}_2{\text{IrO}}_3$
• Hidden spin-orbital order in the Kitaev hyperhoneycomb $\beta$-Li${}_2$IrO${}_3$
• Orbital Magnetic Field Effects in Mott Insulators with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling
• Anisotropic magnetic interactions in a candidate Kitaev spin liquid close to a metal-insulator transition
• Static and fluctuating zigzag order, and possible signatures of Kitaev physics, in torque measurements of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Anisotropy of the zigzag order in the Kitaev honeycomb magnet $\alpha$-RuBr${}_3$