Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate

Yao Shen; Yao Dong Li; Hongliang Wo; Yuesheng Li; Shoudong Shen; Bingying Pan; Qisi Wang; H. C. Walker; P. Steffens; M. Boehm; Yiqing Hao; D. L. Quintero-Castro; L. W. Harriger; M. D. Frontzek; Lijie Hao; Siqin Meng; Qingming Zhang; Gang Chen; Jun Zhao

doi:10.1038/nature20614

Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate

Yao Shen, Yao Dong Li, Hongliang Wo, Yuesheng Li, Shoudong Shen, Bingying Pan, Qisi Wang, H. C. Walker, P. Steffens, M. Boehm, Yiqing Hao, D. L. Quintero-Castro, L. W. Harriger, M. D. Frontzek, Lijie Hao, Siqin Meng, Qingming Zhang, Gang Chen, Jun Zhao

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Abstract

A quantum spin liquid is an exotic quantum state of matter in which spins are highly entangled and remain disordered down to zero temperature. Such a state of matter is potentially relevant to high-Temperature superconductivity and quantum-information applications, and experimental identification of a quantum spin liquid state is of fundamental importance for our understanding of quantum matter. Theoretical studies have proposed various quantum-spin-liquid ground states, most of which are characterized by exotic spin excitations with fractional quantum numbers (termed 'spinons'). Here we report neutron scattering measurements of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet YbMgGaO 4 that reveal broad spin excitations covering a wide region of the Brillouin zone. The observed diffusive spin excitation persists at the lowest measured energy and shows a clear upper excitation edge, consistent with the particle-hole excitation of a spinon Fermi surface. Our results therefore point to the existence of a quantum spin liquid state with a spinon Fermi surface in YbMgGaO 4, which has a perfect spin-1/2 triangular lattice as in the original proposal of quantum spin liquids.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	559-562
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature
Volume	540
Issue number	7634
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20614
State	Published - Dec 22 2016

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Shen, Y., Li, Y. D., Wo, H., Li, Y., Shen, S., Pan, B., Wang, Q., Walker, H. C., Steffens, P., Boehm, M., Hao, Y., Quintero-Castro, D. L., Harriger, L. W., Frontzek, M. D., Hao, L., Meng, S., Zhang, Q., Chen, G., & Zhao, J. (2016). Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate. Nature, 540(7634), 559-562. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20614

@article{35903a6e0e4947cb84495b41d05c383d,

title = "Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate",

abstract = "A quantum spin liquid is an exotic quantum state of matter in which spins are highly entangled and remain disordered down to zero temperature. Such a state of matter is potentially relevant to high-Temperature superconductivity and quantum-information applications, and experimental identification of a quantum spin liquid state is of fundamental importance for our understanding of quantum matter. Theoretical studies have proposed various quantum-spin-liquid ground states, most of which are characterized by exotic spin excitations with fractional quantum numbers (termed 'spinons'). Here we report neutron scattering measurements of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet YbMgGaO 4 that reveal broad spin excitations covering a wide region of the Brillouin zone. The observed diffusive spin excitation persists at the lowest measured energy and shows a clear upper excitation edge, consistent with the particle-hole excitation of a spinon Fermi surface. Our results therefore point to the existence of a quantum spin liquid state with a spinon Fermi surface in YbMgGaO 4, which has a perfect spin-1/2 triangular lattice as in the original proposal of quantum spin liquids.",

author = "Yao Shen and Li, {Yao Dong} and Hongliang Wo and Yuesheng Li and Shoudong Shen and Bingying Pan and Qisi Wang and Walker, {H. C.} and P. Steffens and M. Boehm and Yiqing Hao and Quintero-Castro, {D. L.} and Harriger, {L. W.} and Frontzek, {M. D.} and Lijie Hao and Siqin Meng and Qingming Zhang and Gang Chen and Jun Zhao",

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doi = "10.1038/nature20614",

language = "English",

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T1 - Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate

AU - Shen, Yao

AU - Li, Yao Dong

AU - Wo, Hongliang

AU - Li, Yuesheng

AU - Shen, Shoudong

AU - Pan, Bingying

AU - Wang, Qisi

AU - Walker, H. C.

AU - Steffens, P.

AU - Boehm, M.

AU - Hao, Yiqing

AU - Quintero-Castro, D. L.

AU - Harriger, L. W.

AU - Frontzek, M. D.

AU - Hao, Lijie

AU - Meng, Siqin

AU - Zhang, Qingming

AU - Chen, Gang

AU - Zhao, Jun

PY - 2016/12/22

Y1 - 2016/12/22

N2 - A quantum spin liquid is an exotic quantum state of matter in which spins are highly entangled and remain disordered down to zero temperature. Such a state of matter is potentially relevant to high-Temperature superconductivity and quantum-information applications, and experimental identification of a quantum spin liquid state is of fundamental importance for our understanding of quantum matter. Theoretical studies have proposed various quantum-spin-liquid ground states, most of which are characterized by exotic spin excitations with fractional quantum numbers (termed 'spinons'). Here we report neutron scattering measurements of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet YbMgGaO 4 that reveal broad spin excitations covering a wide region of the Brillouin zone. The observed diffusive spin excitation persists at the lowest measured energy and shows a clear upper excitation edge, consistent with the particle-hole excitation of a spinon Fermi surface. Our results therefore point to the existence of a quantum spin liquid state with a spinon Fermi surface in YbMgGaO 4, which has a perfect spin-1/2 triangular lattice as in the original proposal of quantum spin liquids.

AB - A quantum spin liquid is an exotic quantum state of matter in which spins are highly entangled and remain disordered down to zero temperature. Such a state of matter is potentially relevant to high-Temperature superconductivity and quantum-information applications, and experimental identification of a quantum spin liquid state is of fundamental importance for our understanding of quantum matter. Theoretical studies have proposed various quantum-spin-liquid ground states, most of which are characterized by exotic spin excitations with fractional quantum numbers (termed 'spinons'). Here we report neutron scattering measurements of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet YbMgGaO 4 that reveal broad spin excitations covering a wide region of the Brillouin zone. The observed diffusive spin excitation persists at the lowest measured energy and shows a clear upper excitation edge, consistent with the particle-hole excitation of a spinon Fermi surface. Our results therefore point to the existence of a quantum spin liquid state with a spinon Fermi surface in YbMgGaO 4, which has a perfect spin-1/2 triangular lattice as in the original proposal of quantum spin liquids.

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U2 - 10.1038/nature20614

DO - 10.1038/nature20614

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VL - 540

SP - 559

EP - 562

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7634

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Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate

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