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

625 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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Cite this

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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.\}",

year = "2017",

month = jun,

day = "9",

doi = "10.1126/science.aah6015",

language = "English",

volume = "356",

pages = "1055--1059",

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TY - JOUR

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 - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85020727370

U2 - 10.1126/science.aah6015

DO - 10.1126/science.aah6015

M3 - Article

C2 - 28596361

AN - SCOPUS:85020727370

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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