Observing spin fractionalization in the Kitaev spin liquid via temperature evolution of indirect resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Abstract

Motivated by the ongoing effort to search for high-resolution signatures of quantum spin liquids, we investigate the temperature dependence of the indirect resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) response for the Kitaev honeycomb model. We find that, as a result of spin fractionalization, the RIXS response changes qualitatively at two well-separated temperature scales, $T_L$ and $T_H$, which correspond to the characteristic energies of the two kinds of fractionalized excitations, ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ gauge fluxes and Majorana fermions, respectively. While thermally excited ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ gauge fluxes at temperature $T_L$ lead to a general broadening and softening of the response, the thermal proliferation of Majorana fermions at temperature $T_H\sim 10T_L$ results in a significant shift of the spectral weight, both in terms of energy and momentum. Due to its exclusively indirect nature, the RIXS process we consider gives rise to a universal magnetic response and, from an experimental perspective, it directly corresponds to the $K$-edge of Ru${}^{3+}$ in the Kitaev candidate material $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$.

arXiv comment8 pages, 5 figures, published version with infinitesimal changes

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Cited by in corpus (17)

• Phonon dynamics in the Kitaev spin liquid
• Van Hove singularity in the magnon spectrum of the antiferromagnetic quantum honeycomb lattice
• Variational study of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-Gamma model
• Magnon damping in the zigzag phase of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-$\Gamma$ model on a honeycomb lattice
• Exploring Quantum Materials with Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering
• Disorder upon disorder: localization effects in the Kitaev spin liquid
• Coherent propagation of quasiparticles in topological spin liquids at finite temperature
• Temperature evolution of the phonon dynamics in the Kitaev spin liquid
• Further insights into the thermodynamics of the Kitaev honeycomb model
• Magnon-spinon dichotomy in the Kitaev hyperhoneycomb $\beta$-Li${}_2$IrO${}_3$
• Footprints of the Kitaev spin liquid in the Fano lineshapes of the Raman active optical phonons
• Phonon Dynamics in the Generalized Kitaev Spin Liquid
• Signatures of non-Loudon-Fleury Raman scattering in the Kitaev magnet $\beta$-Li${}_2$IrO${}_3$
• Converting electrons into emergent fermions at a superconductor-Kitaev spin liquid interface
• Valence bond fluctuations in the Kitaev spin model
• Anderson localization of emergent quasiparticles: Spinon and vison interplay at finite temperature in a ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ gauge theory in three dimensions
• Sound attenuation in the hyperhoneycomb Kitaev spin liquid