Instabilities of a U(1) Quantum Spin Liquid in Disordered Non-Kramers Pyrochlores

Owen Benton
Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 037203 – Published 20 July 2018
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Abstract

Quantum spin liquids (QSLs) are exotic phases of matter exhibiting long-range entanglement and supporting emergent gauge fields. A vigorous search for experimental realizations of these states has identified several materials with properties hinting at QSL physics. A key issue in understanding these QSL candidates is often the interplay of weak disorder of the crystal structure with the spin liquid state. It has recently been pointed out that in at least one important class of candidate QSLs—pyrochlore magnets based on non-Kramers ions such as Pr3+ or Tb3+—structural disorder can actually promote a U(1) QSL ground state. Here we set this proposal on a quantitative footing by analyzing the stability of the QSL state in the minimal model for these systems: a random transverse field Ising model. We consider two kinds of instability, which are relevant in different limits of the phase diagram: condensation of spinons and confinement of the U(1) gauge fields. Having obtained stability bounds on the QSL state, we apply our results directly to the disordered candidate QSL Pr2Zr2O7. We find that the available data for currently studied samples of Pr2Zr2O7 are most consistent with it a ground state outside the spin liquid regime, in a paramagnetic phase with quadrupole moments near saturation due to the influence of structural disorder.

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  • Received 29 June 2017
  • Revised 6 April 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.037203

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsStatistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Owen Benton

  • RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan

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Issue

Vol. 121, Iss. 3 — 20 July 2018

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