Work

Quantum spin liquid from electron–phonon coupling

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A quantum spin liquid (QSL) is an exotic insulating phase with emergent gauge fields and fractionalized excitations. However, the unambiguous demonstration of the existence of a QSL in a “nonengineered” microscopic model (or in any material) remains challenging. Here, using numerically exact sign-problem-free quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we show that a QSL arises in a nonengineered electron–phonon model. Specifically, we investigate the ground-state phase diagram of the bond Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model on a 2D triangular lattice at (one electron per site), which we show includes a QSL phase which is fully gapped, exhibits no symmetry-breaking order, and supports deconfined fractionalized holon excitations. This suggests promising routes for finding QSLs in realistic materials and high- T c superconductivity by lightly doping them.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2426111122

Authors: Xun Cai, Zhaoyu Han, Zi-Xiang Li, Steven A. Kivelson, Hong Yao

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, Stanford University, Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Condensed Matter Physics

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Division of Materials Research

Awards: G1572928614, G5534601845, NSF-BSF: Theory of Quantum Materials