Tangle of Spin Double Helices in the Honeycomb Kitaev-$\Gamma$ Model

Abstract

We investigate the ground-state nature of the honeycomb Kitaev-$\Gamma$ model in the material-relevant parameter regime through a combination of classical and quantum simulations. The classical model is imprinted with a tangle of highly structured spin double helices. This helix tangle exhibits $18$ inequivalent helical axes and features a spontaneous periodicity anisotropy and a $\mathrm{sgn}(\Gamma )$-determined chirality pattern. Infinite PEPS simulations with clusters up to $36$ sites identify hallmarks of this many-body order in the quantum spin-$1/2$ model. Our findings provide a fresh perspective of the Kitaev-$\Gamma$ model and enrich the physics of Kitaev magnetism.

4+ $\epsilon$ pages, 5 figures plus supplemental materials; v2: expanded discussions of the modulated spin helicity, additional simulations in SM