Identification of Magnetic Interactions and High-field Quantum Spin Liquid in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$

Abstract

The frustrated magnet $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ constitutes a fascinating quantum material platform that harbors the intriguing Kitaev physics. However, a consensus on its intricate spin interactions and field-induced quantum phases has not been reached yet. Here we exploit multiple state-of-the-art many-body methods and determine the microscopic spin model that quantitatively explains major observations in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$, including the zigzag order, double-peak specific heat, magnetic anisotropy, and the characteristic M-star dynamical spin structure, etc. According to our model simulations, the in-plane field drives the system into the polarized phase at about 7 T and a thermal fractionalization occurs at finite temperature, reconciling observations in different experiments. Under out-of-plane fields, the zigzag order is suppressed at 35 T, above which, and below a polarization field of 100 T level, there emerges a field-induced quantum spin liquid. The fractional entropy and algebraic low-temperature specific heat unveil the nature of a gapless spin liquid, which can be explored in high-field measurements on $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$.

To appear in Nature Communications (12 pages, 6 figures, and 5 Supplementary Notes)

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• Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquids
• Magnetic phase diagram and possible Kitaev-like behavior of honeycomb-lattice antimonate Na3Co2SbO6
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• Dynamical response theory of interacting Majorana fermions and its application to generic Kitaev quantum spin liquids in a field
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• High-field quantum spin liquid transitions and angle-field phase diagram of Kitaev magnet $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Evidence for distortion-induced local electric polarization in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Interplay of frustration and quantum fluctuations in a spin-1/2 anisotropic square lattice
• Digital Quantum Simulation of the Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquid
• Low-energy spin dynamics in a Kitaev material Na3Ni2BiO6 investigated by NMR
• Exact Ground States and Phase Diagram of the Quantum Compass Model under an in-plane Field
• A primer on Kitaev Model: Basic aspects, material realization, and recent experiments
• Field tuning Kitaev systems for spin fractionalization and topological order
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• Efficient iPEPS Simulation on the Honeycomb Lattice via QR-based CTMRG
• Deciphering competing interactions of Kitaev-Heisenberg-$\Gamma$ system in clusters: part I -- static properties
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• Phase diagram of the J1-J2 Heisenberg second-order topological quantum magnet
• Dominant Kitaev Interaction and Field-induced Quantum Disordered Phase in the Cobaltate Na${}_2$Co${}_2$TeO${}_6$
• Spin disorder state induced by Mg${}^{2+}$ doping in a Kitaev material Na${}_3$Co${}_2$SbO${}_6$