Possible Intermediate Quantum Spin Liquid Phase in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ under High Magnetic Fields up to 100 T

Abstract

Pursuing the exotic quantum spin liquid (QSL) state in the Kitaev material $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ has intrigued great research interest recently. A fascinating question is on the possible existence of field-induced QSL phase in this compound. Here we perform a high-field measurement of the magnetization process of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ up to 102 T employing the non-destructive and destructive pulsed magnets. Under the out-of-plane field along the c${}^{\ast }$ axis (i.e., perpendicular to the honeycomb plane), two quantum phase transitions are uncovered at respectively 36 T and about 83 T, between which there lies an intermediate phase as the predicted QSL. By measuring the magnetization data with fields tilted from the c${}^{\ast }$ axis up to $90^{\circ }$ (i.e., in-plane direction), we obtain the field-angle phase diagram that contains the zigzag, paramagnetic, and QSL phases. Based on the accurate $K$-$J$-$\Gamma$-${\Gamma }^{\prime }$ model of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$, we perform density matrix renormalization group simulations and reproduce the quantum phase diagram in excellent agreement with experiments.

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Cited by in corpus (16)

• Magnetic anisotropy reversal driven by structural symmetry-breaking in monolayer α-RuCl3
• Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquids
• Fractionalization Signatures in the Dynamics of Quantum Spin Liquids
• Disentangling spin excitation continua in classical and quantum magnets using 2D nonlinear spectroscopy
• Multinode quantum spin liquids in extended Kitaev honeycomb models: the view from variational Monte Carlo
• Phonon Dynamics in the Chiral Kitaev Spin Liquid
• Exact Ground States and Phase Diagram of the Quantum Compass Model under an in-plane Field
• Field tuning Kitaev systems for spin fractionalization and topological order
• Electronic transport mechanisms in a thin crystal of the Kitaev candidate $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ probed through guarded high impedance measurements
• Nature of the Topological Transition of the Kitaev Model in [111] Magnetic Field
• Field-induced phase transitions in the Kitaev-Heisenberg model: A sign-problem-free quantum Monte Carlo study and possible application to $\alpha$-RuCl3
• Negligible Kitaev interaction in the van der Waals antiferromagnet NiBr${}_2$ revealed by neutron spectroscopy
• Computational Frameworks for Patterned Two-Dimensional Magnetism
• Dominant Kitaev Interaction and Field-induced Quantum Disordered Phase in the Cobaltate Na${}_2$Co${}_2$TeO${}_6$
• Spin sensitive transport in RuCl_3/Pt heterostructures: revealing a field-transverse spin anisotropy in a spin liquid candidate
• Sizable Ligand-Mediated Bond-Dependent Interactions in a Spin-1 Triangular Antiferromagnet NiI${}_2$