Proximate ferromagnetic state in the Kitaev model material α-RuCl3
Abstract
α-RuCl3 is a major candidate for the realization of the Kitaev quantum spin liquid, but its zigzag antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures indicates deviations from the Kitaev model. We have quantified the spin Hamiltonian of α-RuCl3 by a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study at the Ru L3 absorption edge. In the paramagnetic state, the quasi-elastic intensity of magnetic excitations has a broad maximum around the zone center without any local maxima at the zigzag magnetic Bragg wavevectors. This finding implies that the zigzag order is fragile and readily destabilized by competing ferromagnetic correlations. The classical ground state of the experimentally determined Hamiltonian is actually ferromagnetic. The zigzag state is stabilized by quantum fluctuations, leaving ferromagnetism – along with the Kitaev spin liquid – as energetically proximate metastable states. The three closely competing states and their collective excitations hold the key to the theoretical understanding of the unusual properties of α-RuCl3 in magnetic fields.
- Authors:
-
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of); Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Pohang (Korea, Republic of)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Karlsruhe Inst. of Technology (KIT) (Germany)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); University of Munich (LMU), München (Germany)
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Stuttgart (Germany)
- Masaryk University, Brno (Czech Republic)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); European Research Council (ERC); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1819717
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515; 669550
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 12; 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
Suzuki, H., Liu, H., Bertinshaw, J., Ueda, K., Kim, H., Laha, S., Weber, D., Yang, Z., Wang, L., Takahashi, H., Fürsich, K., Minola, M., Lotsch, B. V., Kim, B. J., Yavaş, H., Daghofer, M., Chaloupka, J., Khaliullin, G., Gretarsson, H., and Keimer, B. Proximate ferromagnetic state in the Kitaev model material α-RuCl3. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24722-4.
Suzuki, H., Liu, H., Bertinshaw, J., Ueda, K., Kim, H., Laha, S., Weber, D., Yang, Z., Wang, L., Takahashi, H., Fürsich, K., Minola, M., Lotsch, B. V., Kim, B. J., Yavaş, H., Daghofer, M., Chaloupka, J., Khaliullin, G., Gretarsson, H., & Keimer, B. Proximate ferromagnetic state in the Kitaev model material α-RuCl3. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24722-4
Suzuki, H., Liu, H., Bertinshaw, J., Ueda, K., Kim, H., Laha, S., Weber, D., Yang, Z., Wang, L., Takahashi, H., Fürsich, K., Minola, M., Lotsch, B. V., Kim, B. J., Yavaş, H., Daghofer, M., Chaloupka, J., Khaliullin, G., Gretarsson, H., and Keimer, B. Fri .
"Proximate ferromagnetic state in the Kitaev model material α-RuCl3". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24722-4. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1819717.
@article{osti_1819717,
title = {Proximate ferromagnetic state in the Kitaev model material α-RuCl3},
author = {Suzuki, H. and Liu, H. and Bertinshaw, J. and Ueda, K. and Kim, H. and Laha, S. and Weber, D. and Yang, Z. and Wang, L. and Takahashi, H. and Fürsich, K. and Minola, M. and Lotsch, B. V. and Kim, B. J. and Yavaş, H. and Daghofer, M. and Chaloupka, J. and Khaliullin, G. and Gretarsson, H. and Keimer, B.},
abstractNote = {α-RuCl3 is a major candidate for the realization of the Kitaev quantum spin liquid, but its zigzag antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures indicates deviations from the Kitaev model. We have quantified the spin Hamiltonian of α-RuCl3 by a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study at the Ru L3 absorption edge. In the paramagnetic state, the quasi-elastic intensity of magnetic excitations has a broad maximum around the zone center without any local maxima at the zigzag magnetic Bragg wavevectors. This finding implies that the zigzag order is fragile and readily destabilized by competing ferromagnetic correlations. The classical ground state of the experimentally determined Hamiltonian is actually ferromagnetic. The zigzag state is stabilized by quantum fluctuations, leaving ferromagnetism – along with the Kitaev spin liquid – as energetically proximate metastable states. The three closely competing states and their collective excitations hold the key to the theoretical understanding of the unusual properties of α-RuCl3 in magnetic fields.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-021-24722-4},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = 1,
volume = 12,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 23 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Fri Jul 23 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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