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In condensed matter physics, quantum spin liquid is a state that can be achieved in a system of interacting quantum spins. The state
is referred to as a "liquid" as it is a disordered state in comparison to a ferromagnetic spin state,[1] much in the way liquid water is in
a disordered state compared to crystalline ice. However, unlike other disordered states, a quantum spin liquid state preserves its
disorder to very low temperatures.[2]
The quantum spin liquid state was first proposed by physicist Phil Anderson in 1973 as the ground state for a system of spins on a
triangular lattice that interact antiferromagnetically with their nearest neighbors; i.e. neighboring spins seek to be aligned in opposite
directions. Quantum spin liquids generated further interest when in 1987 Anderson proposed a theory that described high temperature
superconductivity in terms of a disordered spin-liquid state.[3]
A quantum spin liquid state was first discovered in an organic Mott insulator with a triangular lattice (-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3 ) by
Kanoda's group in 2003.[4] It may correspond to a gapless spin liquid with spinon Fermi surface (the so-called uniform RVB state).[5]
The peculiar phase diagram of this organic quantum spin liquid compound was first thoroughly mapped using muon spin
spectroscopy.[6] A second quantum spin liquid state inherbertsmithite ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 was discovered in 2006 by Young Lee's group
at MIT.[7] It may realize a U(1)-Dirac spin liquid.[8]
Another evidence of quantum spin liquid was observed in a 2-dimensional material in August 2015. The researchers of Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, collaborating with physicists from the University of Cambridge, and the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of
Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany, measured the first signatures of these fractional particles, known as Majorana fermions, in a
two-dimensional material with a structure similar to graphene. Their experimental results successfully matched with one of the main
theoretical models for a quantum spin liquid, known as aKitaev model.[9] The results are reported in the journal Nature Materials.
[10]
Contents
1 Examples
1.1 Frustrated magnetic moments
1.2 Resonating valence bonds (RVB)
1.2.1 Excitations
1.2.2 Realizations of (stable) RVB states
2 Identification in Experiments
2.1 Observation of fractionalization
3 Strongly correlated quantum spin liquid
3.1 Specific properties
3.2 Fermion condensation quantum phase transition
3.3 Identification in Experiments
4 Applications
5 References
5.1 Books
Examples
Several physical models have a disordered ground state that can be described as a quantum spin liquid.
Frustrated magnetic moments
Localized spins are frustrated if there exist competing exchange interactions that can not all be
satisfied at the same time, leading to a large degeneracy of the system's ground state. A triangle of
Ising spins (meaning the only possible orientations of the spins are "up" and "down"), which interact
antiferromagnetically, is a simple example for frustration. In the ground state, two of the spins can be
antiparallel but the third one cannot. This leads to an increase of possible orientations (six in this case)
of the spins in the ground state, enhancing fluctuations and thus suppressing magnetic ordering.
Some frustrated materials with different lattice structures and their Curie-Weiss temperature are listed
in the table.[2] All of them are proposed spin liquid candidates. Frustrated Ising spins
on a triangle.
Material Lattice
1T-TaS2 Triangular
Excitations
The valence bonds do not have to be formed by nearest neighbors only and their distributions may
vary in different materials. Ground states with large contributions of long range valence bonds have
more low-energy spin excitations, as those valence bonds are easier to break up. On breaking, they
form two free spins. Other excitations rearrange the valence bonds, leading to low-energy excitations
even for short-range bonds. Very special about spin liquids is, that they support exotic excitations,
meaning excitations with fractional quantum numbers. A prominent example is the excitation of
spinons which are neutral in charge and carry spin . In spin liquids, a spinon is created if one
spin is not paired in a valence bond. It can move by rearranging nearby valence bonds at low energy Spinon moving in
cost. spin liquids.
Identification in Experiments
Since there is no single experimental feature which identifies a material as a spin liquid, several experiments have to be conducted to
gain information on different properties which characterize a spin liquid. An indication is given by a large value of the frustration
parameter , which is defined as
where is the Curie-Weiss temperature and is the temperature below which magnetic order begins to develop.
One of the most direct evidence for absence of magnetic ordering give NMR or SR experiments. If there is a local magnetic field
present, the nuclear or muon spin would be affected which can be measured. 1H-NMR measurements [4] on -(BEDT-
TTF)2Cu2(CN)3 have shown no sign of magnetic ordering down to 32 mK, which is four orders of magnitude smaller than the
coupling constant J250 K[22] between neighboring spins in this compound. Further investigations include:
Specific heat measurementsgive information about the low-energy density of states, which can be compared to
theoretical models.
Thermal transport measurementscan determine if excitations are localized or itinerant.
Neutron scattering gives information about the nature of excitations and correlations (e.g.
spinons).
Reflectance measurementscan uncover spinons, which couple via emergent gauge fields to the electromagnetic
.[23]
field, giving rise to a power-law optical conductivity
Observation of fractionalization
In 2012, Young Lee and his collaborators at MIT and the National Institute of Standards
and Technology artificially developed a crystal ofherbertsmithite, a crystal with kagome
lattice ordering, on which they were able to perform neutron scattering experiments.[24]
Earlier neutron scattering studies on powder samples had already reported evidence for
gapless spinons in herbertsmithite.[25] The experiments of Lee and coworkers revealed
Herbertsmithite, the mineral
evidence for spin-state fractionalization, a predicted property of quantum spin-liquid whose ground state was shown to
type states.[26] The observation has been described as a hallmark for the quantum spin have QSL behaviour
liquid state in herbertsmithite.[27] Data indicate that the strongly correlated quantum
[28]
spin liquid, a specific form of quantum spin liquid, is realized in Herbertsmithite.
Specific properties
Exotic SCQSL's are formed with such hypothetical particles as fermionic spinons carrying spin 1/2 and no charge. The experimental
studies of Herbertsmithite ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 single crystal have found no evidence of long range magnetic order or spin freezing
indicating that Herbertsmithite is the promising system to investigate SCQSL. The planes of the Cu2+ ions can be considered as two-
dimensional layers with negligible magnetic interactions along the third dimension. Experiments have found neither long range
magnetic order nor glassy spin freezing down to temperature 50 mK[33][35] making Herbertsmithite the best candidate for QSL
realization. Frustration of a simple kagome lattice leads to dispersionless topologically protected flat bands.[36][37] In that case
fermion condensation quantum phase transition (FCQPT)[38] can be considered as quantum critical point (QCP) of Herbertsmithite.
FCQPT creates SCQSL composed of chargeless fermions with spin=1/2 occupying the corresponding Fermi sphere with a finite
Fermi momentum. Herbertsmithite's thermodynamic and relaxation properties are similar to those of heavy fermion metals and two-
dimensional 3He.[38] The key features of the findings are the presence in Herbertsmithite of spincharge separation and SCQSL
formed with itinerant spinons. Herbertsmithite represents a fascinating example of SCI where particles-spinons, non-existing as free,
replace the initial particles appearing in the Hamiltonian and define the thermodynamic and relaxation properties at low temperatures.
Because of the spin-charge separation, heat transport, thermodynamic and relaxation properties at low temperatures of the SCI
[34][39]
Herbertsmithite are similar to those of heavy-fermion metals rather than of insulators.
Fermion condensation quantum phase transition
The experimental facts collected on heavy fermion (HF) metals and two
dimensional 3He demonstrate that the quasiparticle effective mass M* is very
large, or even diverges.[30][31][40] Fermion condensation quantum phase
transition (FCQPT) preserves quasiparticles and is directly related to the
unlimited growth of the effective mass M*.[38] Near FCQPT, M* starts to
depend on temperature T, density x, magnetic field B and other external
parameters such as pressure P etc. In contrast to theLandau paradigm based on
the assumption that the effective mass is constant, in the FCQPT theory the
effective mass of new quasiparticles strongly depends on T, x, B etc.
Therefore, to agree/explain with the numerous experimental facts, extended
Fig. 1: T-dependence of the electronic
quasiparticles paradigm based on FCQPT has to be introduced. The main point specific heat C/T of YbRh2Si2 at different
here is that the well-defined quasiparticles determine the thermodynamic, magnetic fields [32] as shown in the
relaxation, scaling and transport properties of strongly correlated Fermi- legend. The values of (C/T)max and Tmax
systems and M* becomes a function of T, x, B, P etc. The data collected for at B=8 Tesla are shown. The maximum
(C/T)max decreases with growing
very different strongly correlated Fermi systems demonstrate universal scaling
magnetic field B, while Tmax shifts to
behavior; in other words distinct materials with strongly correlated fermions
higher T reaching 14 K at B=18 Tesla.
unexpectedly turn out to be uniform.[38] Observing that C/T~~M*, one concludes
that SCQSL in ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 shown in
Fig. 2 exhibits the similar behavior as
Identification in Experiments heavy fermions in YbRh2Si2.
Quantum spin liquid - the new state of matter - is realized in Herbertsmithite,
ZnCu3(OD)6Cl2.[41] Magnetic response of this material displays scaling
relation in both the bulk ac susceptibility and the low energy dynamic
susceptibility, with the low temperature heat capacity strongly depending on
magnetic field.[33][42] This scaling is seen in certain quantum antiferromagnets
and heavy-fermion metals as a signature of proximity to a quantum critical
point. The low-temperature specific heat follows the linear temperature
dependence.[33][42] These results suggest that a SCQSL state with essentially
gapless excitations is realized in Herbertsmithite.[34][39]
Books
Amusia, M., Popov, K., Shaginyan, V., Stephanovich, V. (2014). Theory of Heavy-Fermion Compounds - Theory of Strongly
Correlated Fermi-Systems. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-10825-4.
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