Testing for Z2 topological order in variational wave functions for spin liquids

Arun Paramekanti, Mohit Randeria, and Nandini Trivedi
Phys. Rev. B 71, 094421 – Published 23 March 2005

Abstract

We determine the conditions under which a spin-liquid Mott insulator ∣0⟩ defined by a Gutzwiller projected BCS state at half-filling is Z2 fractionalized. We construct a trial vison (Z2 vortex) state V by projecting an hc2e vortex threading the hole of a cylinder/torus and examine its overlap with ∣0⟩ using analytical and numerical calculations. We find that generically the overlap vanishes in the thermodynamic limit, so the spin-liquid is Z2 fractionalized. We point out the relevance of these results to numerical studies of Hubbard-like models and spin models which have been recently reported to possess spin liquid phases. We also consider possible implications for flux-trapping experiments that have tested for Z2 fractionalization in underdoped high-temperature superconductors.

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  • Received 7 May 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.094421

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Arun Paramekanti1, Mohit Randeria2,3,*, and Nandini Trivedi2,3,*

  • 1Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4030, USA
  • 2Department of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 005, India
  • 3Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA

  • *Current address: Department of Physics Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

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Vol. 71, Iss. 9 — 1 March 2005

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