Work

Detecting symmetry fractionalization in gapped quantum spin liquids by magnetic impurities

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We study the Kondo effect of spin-1/2 magnetic impurities in gapped Z2 spin liquids on two-dimensional lattices. We find that if the impurity is placed at a high-symmetry location, a nontrivial spinon fractionalization class of the impurity site symmetry group will necessarily lead to a non-Kramers doublet in the Kondo screening regime, protected by associated crystalline symmetries. This is in sharp contrast to a featureless screening phase in the usual Kondo effect. We demonstrate this symmetry-protected topological degeneracy by an exactly solvable model and by the large-N theory. Based on this effect, we discuss how thermodynamic measurements in the limit of dilute magnetic impurities can be used to detect symmetry fractionalization in gapped Z2 spin liquids.

Source: Physical review. B./Physical review. B

DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.110.l100401

Authors: Shuangyuan Lu, Yuan-Ming Lu

Institution: The Ohio State University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Condensed Matter Physics

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Ohio State University, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, Division of Materials Research

Awards: G266914229, G3062877667, CAREER: Detecting and Designing Topological Orders in Frustrated Magnets, G5956625161, Center for Emergent Materials, an NSF MRSEC