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Theory of the Kitaev model in a [111] magnetic field.


ABSTRACT: Recent numerical studies indicate that the antiferromagnetic Kitaev honeycomb lattice model undergoes a magnetic-field-induced quantum phase transition into a new spin-liquid phase. This intermediate-field phase has been previously characterized as a gapless spin liquid. By implementing a recently developed variational approach based on the exact fractionalized excitations of the zero-field model, we demonstrate that the field-induced spin liquid is gapped and belongs to Kitaev's 16-fold way. Specifically, the low-field non-Abelian liquid with Chern number C = ±1 transitions into an Abelian liquid with C = ±4. The critical field and the field-dependent behaviors of key physical quantities are in good quantitative agreement with published numerical results. Furthermore, we derive an effective field theory for the field-induced critical point which readily explains the ostensibly gapless nature of the intermediate-field spin liquid.

SUBMITTER: Zhang SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8776843 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Theory of the Kitaev model in a [111] magnetic field.

Zhang Shang-Shun SS   Zhang Shang-Shun SS   Halász Gábor B GB   Batista Cristian D CD  

Nature communications 20220120 1


Recent numerical studies indicate that the antiferromagnetic Kitaev honeycomb lattice model undergoes a magnetic-field-induced quantum phase transition into a new spin-liquid phase. This intermediate-field phase has been previously characterized as a gapless spin liquid. By implementing a recently developed variational approach based on the exact fractionalized excitations of the zero-field model, we demonstrate that the field-induced spin liquid is gapped and belongs to Kitaev's 16-fold way. Sp  ...[more]

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