Kitaev magnetism and fractionalized excitations in double perovskite Sm2ZnIrO6

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Contributors

  • Birender Singh - , Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (Author)
  • M. Vogl - , Chair of Experimental Solid State Physics, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • S. Wurmehl - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • S. Aswartham - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • B. Büchner - , Chair of Experimental Solid State Physics, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Pradeep Kumar - , Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (Author)

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

Original languageEnglish
Article number013040
JournalPhysical Review Research
Volume2
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas