Neutron scattering in the proximate quantum spin liquid α-RuCl3

Arnab Banerjee; Jiaqiang Yan; Johannes Knolle; Craig A. Bridges; Matthew B. Stone; Mark D. Lumsden; David G. Mandrus; David A. Tennant; Roderich Moessner; Stephen E. Nagler

doi:10.1126/science.aah6015

Neutron scattering in the proximate quantum spin liquid α-RuCl₃

Arnab Banerjee, Jiaqiang Yan, Johannes Knolle, Craig A. Bridges, Matthew B. Stone, Mark D. Lumsden, David G. Mandrus, David A. Tennant, Roderich Moessner, Stephen E. Nagler

Correlated Electron Materials

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

558 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Kitaev quantum spin liquid (KQSL) is an exotic emergent state of matter exhibiting Majorana fermion and gauge flux excitations.The magnetic insulator a-RuCl₃ is thought to realize a proximate KQSL.We used neutron scattering on single crystals of a-RuCl₃ to reconstruct dynamical correlations in energy-momentum space.We discovered highly unusual signals, including a column of scattering over a large energy interval around the Brillouin zone center, which is very stable with temperature. This finding is consistent with scattering from the Majorana excitations of a KQSL. Other, more delicate experimental features can be transparently associated with perturbations to an ideal model. Our results encourage further study of this prototypical material and may open a window into investigating emergent magnetic Majorana fermions in correlated materials.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1055-1059
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	356
Issue number	6342
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6015
State	Published - Jun 9 2017

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title = "Neutron scattering in the proximate quantum spin liquid α-RuCl3",

abstract = "The Kitaev quantum spin liquid (KQSL) is an exotic emergent state of matter exhibiting Majorana fermion and gauge flux excitations.The magnetic insulator a-RuCl3 is thought to realize a proximate KQSL.We used neutron scattering on single crystals of a-RuCl3 to reconstruct dynamical correlations in energy-momentum space.We discovered highly unusual signals, including a column of scattering over a large energy interval around the Brillouin zone center, which is very stable with temperature. This finding is consistent with scattering from the Majorana excitations of a KQSL. Other, more delicate experimental features can be transparently associated with perturbations to an ideal model. Our results encourage further study of this prototypical material and may open a window into investigating emergent magnetic Majorana fermions in correlated materials.",

author = "Arnab Banerjee and Jiaqiang Yan and Johannes Knolle and Bridges, {Craig A.} and Stone, {Matthew B.} and Lumsden, {Mark D.} and Mandrus, {David G.} and Tennant, {David A.} and Roderich Moessner and Nagler, {Stephen E.}",

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doi = "10.1126/science.aah6015",

language = "English",

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T1 - Neutron scattering in the proximate quantum spin liquid α-RuCl3

AU - Banerjee, Arnab

AU - Yan, Jiaqiang

AU - Knolle, Johannes

AU - Bridges, Craig A.

AU - Stone, Matthew B.

AU - Lumsden, Mark D.

AU - Mandrus, David G.

AU - Tennant, David A.

AU - Moessner, Roderich

AU - Nagler, Stephen E.

PY - 2017/6/9

Y1 - 2017/6/9

N2 - The Kitaev quantum spin liquid (KQSL) is an exotic emergent state of matter exhibiting Majorana fermion and gauge flux excitations.The magnetic insulator a-RuCl3 is thought to realize a proximate KQSL.We used neutron scattering on single crystals of a-RuCl3 to reconstruct dynamical correlations in energy-momentum space.We discovered highly unusual signals, including a column of scattering over a large energy interval around the Brillouin zone center, which is very stable with temperature. This finding is consistent with scattering from the Majorana excitations of a KQSL. Other, more delicate experimental features can be transparently associated with perturbations to an ideal model. Our results encourage further study of this prototypical material and may open a window into investigating emergent magnetic Majorana fermions in correlated materials.

AB - The Kitaev quantum spin liquid (KQSL) is an exotic emergent state of matter exhibiting Majorana fermion and gauge flux excitations.The magnetic insulator a-RuCl3 is thought to realize a proximate KQSL.We used neutron scattering on single crystals of a-RuCl3 to reconstruct dynamical correlations in energy-momentum space.We discovered highly unusual signals, including a column of scattering over a large energy interval around the Brillouin zone center, which is very stable with temperature. This finding is consistent with scattering from the Majorana excitations of a KQSL. Other, more delicate experimental features can be transparently associated with perturbations to an ideal model. Our results encourage further study of this prototypical material and may open a window into investigating emergent magnetic Majorana fermions in correlated materials.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020727370&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.aah6015

DO - 10.1126/science.aah6015

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SN - 0036-8075

VL - 356

SP - 1055

EP - 1059

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6342

ER -

Neutron scattering in the proximate quantum spin liquid α-RuCl₃

Abstract

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