Fractionalization in Spin Liquid Mott Insulators: Vison Wavefunctions and Gaps

Abstract

We study fractionalization in a spin-liquid Mott insulator defined by a Gutzwiller projected BCS state |0> at half-filling. We construct a trial vison (Z2 vortex) state |V> by projecting an hc/2e vortex and determine when it is orthogonal to |0>. Using a combination of analytical arguments and Monte Carlo calculations we show that generically the spin-liquid is Z2 fractionalized. For microscopic parameters appropriate for high Tc cuprates, we estimate that the vison gap Ev << J, consistent with recent experimental bounds, due to proximity to the bipartite symmetric point where Ev = 0.

4 pages; 3 figures (one figure modified to show asymptotic exponential decay of overlaps in fractionalized phase)

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• Topological entanglement entropy in Gutzwiller projected spin liquids
• Resonating-valence-bond structure of Gutzwiller-projected superconducting wave functions
• Partons from stabilizer codes