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Title: Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators

Abstract

The search for quantum spin liquids in frustrated quantum magnets recently has enjoyed a surge of interest, with various candidate materials under intense scrutiny. However, an experimental confirmation of a gapped topological spin liquid remains an open question. Here, we show that circularly polarized light can provide a knob to drive frustrated Mott insulators into a chiral spin liquid, realizing an elusive quantum spin liquid with topological order. We find that the dynamics of a driven Kagome Mott insulator is well-captured by an effective Floquet spin model, with heating strongly suppressed, inducing a scalar spin chirality Si · (Sj × Sk) term which dynamically breaks time-reversal while preserving SU(2) spin symmetry. We fingerprint the transient phase diagram and find a stable photo-induced chiral spin liquid near the equilibrium state. Furthermore, the results presented suggest employing dynamical symmetry breaking to engineer quantum spin liquids and access elusive phase transitions that are not readily accessible in equilibrium.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2]
  1. Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  2. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1410605
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 8; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Claassen, Martin, Jiang, Hong -Chen, Moritz, Brian, and Devereaux, Thomas P. Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00876-y.
Claassen, Martin, Jiang, Hong -Chen, Moritz, Brian, & Devereaux, Thomas P. Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00876-y
Claassen, Martin, Jiang, Hong -Chen, Moritz, Brian, and Devereaux, Thomas P. Mon . "Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00876-y. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1410605.
@article{osti_1410605,
title = {Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators},
author = {Claassen, Martin and Jiang, Hong -Chen and Moritz, Brian and Devereaux, Thomas P.},
abstractNote = {The search for quantum spin liquids in frustrated quantum magnets recently has enjoyed a surge of interest, with various candidate materials under intense scrutiny. However, an experimental confirmation of a gapped topological spin liquid remains an open question. Here, we show that circularly polarized light can provide a knob to drive frustrated Mott insulators into a chiral spin liquid, realizing an elusive quantum spin liquid with topological order. We find that the dynamics of a driven Kagome Mott insulator is well-captured by an effective Floquet spin model, with heating strongly suppressed, inducing a scalar spin chirality Si · (Sj × Sk) term which dynamically breaks time-reversal while preserving SU(2) spin symmetry. We fingerprint the transient phase diagram and find a stable photo-induced chiral spin liquid near the equilibrium state. Furthermore, the results presented suggest employing dynamical symmetry breaking to engineer quantum spin liquids and access elusive phase transitions that are not readily accessible in equilibrium.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-017-00876-y},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = 1,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 30 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon Oct 30 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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