Kitaev magnetism and fractionalized excitations in double perovskite Sm2ZnIrO6

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Birender Singh - , Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (Autor:in)
  • M. Vogl - , Professur für Experimentelle Festkörperphysik (gB/IFW), Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (Autor:in)
  • S. Wurmehl - , Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden (Autor:in)
  • S. Aswartham - , Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (Autor:in)
  • B. Büchner - , Professur für Experimentelle Festkörperphysik (gB/IFW), Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Pradeep Kumar - , Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (Autor:in)

Abstract

The quest for Kitaev spin liquids in particular three-dimensional solids is a long sought goal in condensed matter physics, as these states may give rise to exotic new types of quasiparticle excitations carrying fractional quantum numbers, namely Majorana fermionic excitations. Here we report the experimental signature of this characteristic feature of the Kitaev spin liquid via Raman measurements. Sm2ZnIrO6 is a strongly spin-orbit-coupled Mott insulator where Jeff=1/2 controls the physics, which provides striking evidence for this characteristic feature of the Kitaev spin liquid. As the temperature is lowered, we find that the spin excitations form a continuum in contrast to the conventional sharp modes expected in ordered antiferromagnets. Our observation of a broad magnetic continuum and anomalous renormalization of the phonon self-energy parameters shows the existence of fractionalization excitations in the double-perovskite structure, as theoretically conjectured in a Kitaev-Heisenberg geometrically frustrated double-perovskite system.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer013040
FachzeitschriftPhysical Review Research
Jahrgang2
Ausgabenummer1
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Jan. 2020
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Schlagworte

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete