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Title: Weyl magnons in breathing pyrochlore antiferromagnets

Abstract

Frustrated quantum magnets not only provide exotic ground states and unusual magnetic structures, but also support unconventional excitations in many cases. Using a physically relevant spin model for a breathing pyrochlore lattice, we discuss the presence of topological linear band crossings of magnons in antiferromagnets. These are the analogues of Weyl fermions in electronic systems, which we dub Weyl magnons. The bulk Weyl magnon implies the presence of chiral magnon surface states forming arcs at finite energy. We argue that such antiferromagnets present a unique example, in which Weyl points can be manipulated in situ in the laboratory by applied fields. We discuss their appearance specifically in the breathing pyrochlore lattice, and give some general discussion of conditions to find Weyl magnons, and how they may be probed experimentally. Our work may inspire a re-examination of the magnetic excitations in many magnetically ordered systems.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [5]
  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Inst. of Theoretical Physics
  2. Fudan Univ., Shanghai (China). School of Computer Science
  3. Univ. of Toronto, ON (Canada). Canadian Inst. for Advanced Research, Dept. of Physics
  4. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Theoretical Physics
  5. Fudan Univ., Shanghai (China). State Key Lab. of Surface Physics and Dept. of Physics; Fudan Univ., Shanghai (China). Center for Field Theory and Particle Physics, Dept. of Physics; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing (China)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1361676
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-08ER46524
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Electronic properties and materials; Magnetic properties and materials; Topological insulators

Citation Formats

Li, Fei-Ye, Li, Yao-Dong, Kim, Yong Baek, Balents, Leon, Yu, Yue, and Chen, Gang. Weyl magnons in breathing pyrochlore antiferromagnets. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1038/ncomms12691.
Li, Fei-Ye, Li, Yao-Dong, Kim, Yong Baek, Balents, Leon, Yu, Yue, & Chen, Gang. Weyl magnons in breathing pyrochlore antiferromagnets. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12691
Li, Fei-Ye, Li, Yao-Dong, Kim, Yong Baek, Balents, Leon, Yu, Yue, and Chen, Gang. Wed . "Weyl magnons in breathing pyrochlore antiferromagnets". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12691. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1361676.
@article{osti_1361676,
title = {Weyl magnons in breathing pyrochlore antiferromagnets},
author = {Li, Fei-Ye and Li, Yao-Dong and Kim, Yong Baek and Balents, Leon and Yu, Yue and Chen, Gang},
abstractNote = {Frustrated quantum magnets not only provide exotic ground states and unusual magnetic structures, but also support unconventional excitations in many cases. Using a physically relevant spin model for a breathing pyrochlore lattice, we discuss the presence of topological linear band crossings of magnons in antiferromagnets. These are the analogues of Weyl fermions in electronic systems, which we dub Weyl magnons. The bulk Weyl magnon implies the presence of chiral magnon surface states forming arcs at finite energy. We argue that such antiferromagnets present a unique example, in which Weyl points can be manipulated in situ in the laboratory by applied fields. We discuss their appearance specifically in the breathing pyrochlore lattice, and give some general discussion of conditions to find Weyl magnons, and how they may be probed experimentally. Our work may inspire a re-examination of the magnetic excitations in many magnetically ordered systems.},
doi = {10.1038/ncomms12691},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = ,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Wed Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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