Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe2

A. O. Scheie; E. A. Ghioldi; J. Xing; J. A.M. Paddison; N. E. Sherman; M. Dupont; L. D. Sanjeewa; Sangyun Lee; A. J. Woods; D. Abernathy; D. M. Pajerowski; T. J. Williams; Shang Shun Zhang; L. O. Manuel; A. E. Trumper; C. D. Pemmaraju; A. S. Sefat; D. S. Parker; T. P. Devereaux; R. Movshovich; J. E. Moore; C. D. Batista; D. A. Tennant

doi:10.1038/s41567-023-02259-1

Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe₂

A. O. Scheie, E. A. Ghioldi, J. Xing, J. A.M. Paddison, N. E. Sherman, M. Dupont, L. D. Sanjeewa, Sangyun Lee, A. J. Woods, D. Abernathy, D. M. Pajerowski, T. J. Williams, Shang Shun Zhang, L. O. Manuel, A. E. Trumper, C. D. Pemmaraju, A. S. Sefat, D. S. Parker, T. P. Devereaux, R. MovshovichJ. E. Moore, C. D. Batista, D. A. Tennant

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

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Heisenberg triangular-lattice quantum spin liquid and its phase transitions to nearby magnetic orders have received much theoretical attention, but clear experimental manifestations of these states are rare. Here we demonstrate that a spin-half delafossite material, namely, KYbSe₂, shows close proximity to the triangular-lattice Heisenberg quantum spin liquid. Using neutron scattering, we identify a diffuse continuum with a sharp lower bound within the measured spectra. Applying entanglement witnesses to the data indicates multipartite entanglement spread between its neighbours, and an analysis of its magnetic-exchange couplings reveals close proximity to the theoretical quantum spin-liquid phase. The key features of the data are reproduced by Schwinger boson theory and tensor network calculations with a substantial next-nearest-neighbour coupling. The strength of the dynamical structure factor at the Brillouin-zone K point shows a scaling collapse down to 0.3 K, indicating the existence of a second-order quantum phase transition. Comparing this with previous theoretical work suggests that the proximate phase at a larger next-nearest-neighbour coupling is a gapped Z₂ spin liquid, resolving a long-debated issue.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	74-81
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	20
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02259-1
State	Published - Jan 2024

Funding

This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor, Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science User Facilities, operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The work by D.A.T., C.D.B. and E.A.G. is supported by the Quantum Science Center (QSC), a National Quantum Information Science Research Center of the US DOE. The work of J.A.M.P. (magnetic diffuse scattering fits) was supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. J.X. and A.S.S. were supported by the US DOE, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division. L.O.M. and A.E.T. were supported by CONICET under grant no. 364 (PIP2015). This research used resources at the Missouri University Research Reactor and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Missouri. S.L., A.J.W. and R.M. were supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, and Quantum Science Center. N.E.S., M.D., J.E.M., C.D.P. and T.P.D. were supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231 (DE-AC02-76SF00515) through the Theory Institute for Materials and Energy Spectroscopy (TIMES). J.E.M. acknowledges additional support by a Simons Investigatorship. This research used the Lawrencium computational cluster resource provided by the IT Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (supported by the Director, US DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231). This research also used resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a US DOE, Office of Science User Facility, operated under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231. This paper has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US DOE. The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this paper, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. The US DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (https://www.energy.gov/doe-public-access-plan). This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor, Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science User Facilities, operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The work by D.A.T., C.D.B. and E.A.G. is supported by the Quantum Science Center (QSC), a National Quantum Information Science Research Center of the US DOE. The work of J.A.M.P. (magnetic diffuse scattering fits) was supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. J.X. and A.S.S. were supported by the US DOE, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division. L.O.M. and A.E.T. were supported by CONICET under grant no. 364 (PIP2015). This research used resources at the Missouri University Research Reactor and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Missouri. S.L., A.J.W. and R.M. were supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, and Quantum Science Center. N.E.S., M.D., J.E.M., C.D.P. and T.P.D. were supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231 (DE-AC02-76SF00515) through the Theory Institute for Materials and Energy Spectroscopy (TIMES). J.E.M. acknowledges additional support by a Simons Investigatorship. This research used the Lawrencium computational cluster resource provided by the IT Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (supported by the Director, US DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231). This research also used resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a US DOE, Office of Science User Facility, operated under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231. This paper has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US DOE. The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this paper, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. The US DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( https://www.energy.gov/doe-public-access-plan ).

Funders	Funder number
DOE Public Access Plan
Department of Chemistry at the University of Missouri
National Quantum Information Science Research Center of the US DOE
National Quantum Information Science Research Centers
Quantum Science Center
Theory Institute for Materials and Energy Spectroscopy
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences	DE-AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02-76SF00515
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Missouri
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas	364, PIP2015

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Scheie, A. O., Ghioldi, E. A., Xing, J., Paddison, J. A. M., Sherman, N. E., Dupont, M., Sanjeewa, L. D., Lee, S., Woods, A. J., Abernathy, D., Pajerowski, D. M., Williams, T. J., Zhang, S. S., Manuel, L. O., Trumper, A. E., Pemmaraju, C. D., Sefat, A. S., Parker, D. S., Devereaux, T. P., ... Tennant, D. A. (2024). Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe₂. Nature Physics, 20(1), 74-81. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02259-1

@article{c3100d42a5f64e918846a82bb3324d44,

title = "Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe2",

abstract = "The Heisenberg triangular-lattice quantum spin liquid and its phase transitions to nearby magnetic orders have received much theoretical attention, but clear experimental manifestations of these states are rare. Here we demonstrate that a spin-half delafossite material, namely, KYbSe2, shows close proximity to the triangular-lattice Heisenberg quantum spin liquid. Using neutron scattering, we identify a diffuse continuum with a sharp lower bound within the measured spectra. Applying entanglement witnesses to the data indicates multipartite entanglement spread between its neighbours, and an analysis of its magnetic-exchange couplings reveals close proximity to the theoretical quantum spin-liquid phase. The key features of the data are reproduced by Schwinger boson theory and tensor network calculations with a substantial next-nearest-neighbour coupling. The strength of the dynamical structure factor at the Brillouin-zone K point shows a scaling collapse down to 0.3 K, indicating the existence of a second-order quantum phase transition. Comparing this with previous theoretical work suggests that the proximate phase at a larger next-nearest-neighbour coupling is a gapped Z2 spin liquid, resolving a long-debated issue.",

author = "Scheie, {A. O.} and Ghioldi, {E. A.} and J. Xing and Paddison, {J. A.M.} and Sherman, {N. E.} and M. Dupont and Sanjeewa, {L. D.} and Sangyun Lee and Woods, {A. J.} and D. Abernathy and Pajerowski, {D. M.} and Williams, {T. J.} and Zhang, {Shang Shun} and Manuel, {L. O.} and Trumper, {A. E.} and Pemmaraju, {C. D.} and Sefat, {A. S.} and Parker, {D. S.} and Devereaux, {T. P.} and R. Movshovich and Moore, {J. E.} and Batista, {C. D.} and Tennant, {D. A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2024",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1038/s41567-023-02259-1",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

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Scheie, AO, Ghioldi, EA, Xing, J, Paddison, JAM, Sherman, NE, Dupont, M, Sanjeewa, LD, Lee, S, Woods, AJ, Abernathy, D , Pajerowski, DM, Williams, TJ, Zhang, SS, Manuel, LO, Trumper, AE, Pemmaraju, CD, Sefat, AS, Parker, DS, Devereaux, TP, Movshovich, R, Moore, JE, Batista, CD & Tennant, DA 2024, 'Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe₂', Nature Physics, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 74-81. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02259-1

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T1 - Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe2

AU - Scheie, A. O.

AU - Ghioldi, E. A.

AU - Xing, J.

AU - Paddison, J. A.M.

AU - Sherman, N. E.

AU - Dupont, M.

AU - Sanjeewa, L. D.

AU - Lee, Sangyun

AU - Woods, A. J.

AU - Abernathy, D.

AU - Pajerowski, D. M.

AU - Williams, T. J.

AU - Zhang, Shang Shun

AU - Manuel, L. O.

AU - Trumper, A. E.

AU - Pemmaraju, C. D.

AU - Sefat, A. S.

AU - Parker, D. S.

AU - Devereaux, T. P.

AU - Movshovich, R.

AU - Moore, J. E.

AU - Batista, C. D.

AU - Tennant, D. A.

PY - 2024/1

Y1 - 2024/1

N2 - The Heisenberg triangular-lattice quantum spin liquid and its phase transitions to nearby magnetic orders have received much theoretical attention, but clear experimental manifestations of these states are rare. Here we demonstrate that a spin-half delafossite material, namely, KYbSe2, shows close proximity to the triangular-lattice Heisenberg quantum spin liquid. Using neutron scattering, we identify a diffuse continuum with a sharp lower bound within the measured spectra. Applying entanglement witnesses to the data indicates multipartite entanglement spread between its neighbours, and an analysis of its magnetic-exchange couplings reveals close proximity to the theoretical quantum spin-liquid phase. The key features of the data are reproduced by Schwinger boson theory and tensor network calculations with a substantial next-nearest-neighbour coupling. The strength of the dynamical structure factor at the Brillouin-zone K point shows a scaling collapse down to 0.3 K, indicating the existence of a second-order quantum phase transition. Comparing this with previous theoretical work suggests that the proximate phase at a larger next-nearest-neighbour coupling is a gapped Z2 spin liquid, resolving a long-debated issue.

AB - The Heisenberg triangular-lattice quantum spin liquid and its phase transitions to nearby magnetic orders have received much theoretical attention, but clear experimental manifestations of these states are rare. Here we demonstrate that a spin-half delafossite material, namely, KYbSe2, shows close proximity to the triangular-lattice Heisenberg quantum spin liquid. Using neutron scattering, we identify a diffuse continuum with a sharp lower bound within the measured spectra. Applying entanglement witnesses to the data indicates multipartite entanglement spread between its neighbours, and an analysis of its magnetic-exchange couplings reveals close proximity to the theoretical quantum spin-liquid phase. The key features of the data are reproduced by Schwinger boson theory and tensor network calculations with a substantial next-nearest-neighbour coupling. The strength of the dynamical structure factor at the Brillouin-zone K point shows a scaling collapse down to 0.3 K, indicating the existence of a second-order quantum phase transition. Comparing this with previous theoretical work suggests that the proximate phase at a larger next-nearest-neighbour coupling is a gapped Z2 spin liquid, resolving a long-debated issue.

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DO - 10.1038/s41567-023-02259-1

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AN - SCOPUS:85175815353

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VL - 20

SP - 74

EP - 81

JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

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ER -

Proximate spin liquid and fractionalization in the triangular antiferromagnet KYbSe₂

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