Behavior under magnetic field of resonance at the edge of the upper Hubbard band in 1T-TaS2

Abstract

Recent theoretical investigations of quantum spin liquids have described phenomenology amenable to experimental observation using scanning tunneling microscopy. This includes characteristic resonances found at the edge of the upper Hubbard band of the host Mott insulator, that under certain conditions shift into the Mott gap under external magnetic field [W.-Y. He and P. A. Lee, arXiv:2212.08767]. In light of this we report scanning tunneling microscopy observations, in samples of the quantum spin liquid candidate 1T-TaS2, of a conductance peak at the upper Hubbard band edge and its magnetic field dependent behavior. These observations potentially represent evidence for the existence of a quantum spin liquid in 1T TaS2. We also observe samples in which such field dependence is absent, but with no observed correlate for the presence or absence of field dependence. This suggests one or more material properties controlling electronic behavior that are yet to be understood, and should help to motivate renewed investigation of the microscopic degrees of freedom in play in 1T-TaS2, as well as the possible realization of a quantum spin liquid phase.

5 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (13)

• Identifying Topological Order by Entanglement Entropy
• Imaging spinon density modulations in a 2D quantum spin liquid
• Mottness versus unit-cell doubling as the driver of the insulating state in 1T-TaS2
• Tunneling spectroscopy of quantum spin liquids
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• Mott versus hybridization gap in the low-temperature phase of $1T$-TaS${}_2$
• Surface structure and stacking of the commensurate $\left(\sqrt{13}\times \sqrt{13}\right)$R13.9° charge density wave phase of 1T-TaS${}_2$(0001)
• Low-energy behavior of spin-liquid electron spectral functions
• Signatures of coherent electronic quasiparticles in the paramagnetic Mott insulator
• Doublon-like excitations and their phononic coupling in a Mott charge-density-wave system

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Electronic Density of States of a $U\left(1\right)$ Quantum Spin Liquid with Spinon Fermi Surface. I. Orbital Magnetic Field Effects
• Origin of Distinct Insulating Domains in the Layered Charge Density Wave Material 1T-TaS2
• Topical review: the nature of the ground state and possibility of a quantum spin liquid in 1T metal dichalcogenides