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arXiv:1208.5240 · Physical Review Letters

Stable Algebraic Spin Liquid in a Hubbard Model

Syed R. Hassan, P. V. Sriluckshmy, Sandeep K. Goyal, Ravi Shankar, David Sénéchal

Published Jan 14, 2013• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We show the existence of a stable algebraic spin liquid (ASL) phase in a Hubbard model defined on a honeycomb lattice with spin-dependent hopping that breaks time-reversal symmetry. The effective spin model is the Kitaev model for large on-site repulsion. The gaplessness of the emergent Majorana fermions is protected by the time-reversal invariance of this model. We prove that the effective spin model is time-reversal invariant in the entire Mott phase, thus ensuring the stability of the ASL. The model can be physically realized in cold atom systems, and we propose experimental signals of the ASL.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.110.037201

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We show the existence of a stable algebraic spin liquid (ASL) phase in a Hubbard model defined on a honeycomb lattice with spin-dependent hopping that breaks time-reversal symmetry. The effective spin model is the Kitaev model for large on-site repulsion. The gaplessness of the emergent Majorana fermions is protected by the time-reversal invariance of this model. We prove that the effective spin model is time-reversal invariant in the entire Mott phase, thus ensuring the stability of the ASL. The model can be physically realized in cold atom systems, and we propose experimental signals of the ASL.
We propose an exactly solvable quantum spin-12\frac{1}{2}21​ model with time reversal invariance on a two-dimensional brick-wall lattice, where each unit cell consists of three sites. We find that the ground states are algebraic quantum spin liquid states. The spinon excitations are gapless and the energy dispersion is linear around two Dirac points. The ground states are of threefold topological degeneracy on a torus. Breaking the time reversal symmetry opens a bulk energy gap and the Z2{Z}_{2}Z2​ vortices obey non-Abelian statistics.
We report the finding of a series of distinct-symmetry spin-liquid (SL) states and a rich phase diagram in a half-filled honeycomb lattice Hubbard model with spin-dependent hopping amplitude ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$. We first study the magnetic instability of the system and find two antiferromagnetic orders beyond a critical Hubbard UUU which increases with the ratio ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}/t$. For ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ approaching ttt, the semimetal transforms to a U(1)U(1)U(1) SL and then to the Kitaev Z2{Z}_{2}Z2​ SL as UUU increases. In a wide middle range of ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}/t$, the latter is replaced by a U(1)U(1)U(1) SL to SU(2)SU(2)SU(2) SL transition. The physical properties of the stable SL phases are discussed.
The Kitaev-Hubbard model of interacting fermions is defined on the honeycomb lattice and, at strong coupling, interpolates between the Heisenberg model and the Kitaev model. It is basically a Hubbard model with ordinary hopping ttt and spin-dependent hopping ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$. We study this model in the weak to intermediate coupling regime, at half filling, using the cellular dynamical impurity approximation (CDIA), an approach related to dynamical mean field theory but based on Potthoff's variational principle. We identify four phases in the $(U,{t}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ plane: two semimetallic phases with different numbers of Dirac points, an antiferromagnetic insulator, and an algebraic spin liquid. The last two are separated by a first-order transition. These four phases all meet at a single point and could be realized in cold atom systems.
We study a model in (2 + 1)-dimensional space-time that is realized by an array of chains, each of which realizes relativistic Majorana fields in (1 + 1)-dimensional space-time, coupled via current-current interactions. The model is shown to have a lattice realization as an array of coupled quantum spin-1/2 ladders. We study this model both in the presence and in the absence of time-reversal symmetry within a mean-field approximation. We find regimes in coupling space where Abelian and non-Abelian spin-liquid phases are stable. In the case when the Hamiltonian is time-reversal symmetric, we find regimes where gapped Abelian and non-Abelian chiral phases appear as a result of spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry. These gapped phases are separated by a discontinuous phase transition. More interestingly, we find a regime for which a nonchiral gapless non-Abelian spin liquid is stable. The excitations in this regime are described by relativistic Majorana fields in (2 + 1)-dimensional space-time, much as those appearing in the Kitaev honeycomb model but here emerging in a model of coupled spin ladders that do not break the SU(2)SU(2)SU(2) spin-rotation symmetry.
It is well-known that a stable algebraic spin liquid state (or equivalently an algebraic Bose liquid (ABL) state) with emergent gapless photon excitations can exist in quantum spin ice systems, or in a quantum dimer model on a bipartite 3d3d3d lattice. This photon phase is stable against any weak perturbation without assuming any symmetry. Further works concluded that certain lattice models give rise to more exotic stable algebraic Bose liquid phases with graviton-like excitations. In this paper we will show how these algebraic Bose liquid states can be generalized to stable phases with even more exotic types of gapless excitations and then argue that these new phases are stable against weak perturbations. We also explicitly show that these theories have an (algebraic) topological ground state degeneracy on a torus, and construct the corresponding topological invariants.
The formation of quantum spin liquids in frustrated magnets represents an exciting possibility due to the rather exotic features they harbor, including fractionalized excitations and emergent gauge fields. \nUnfortunately, they are notoriously difficult to study as there are often no good analytical methods available and quantum Monte Carlo simulations are hindered by the negative sign problem. \nThe Kitaev honeycomb model is a notable exception of a frustrated quantum model which is exactly solvable and which hosts a number of distinct quantum spin liquid ground states. \nAs such, it allows for a rare opportunity to study the physics of spin liquids with full analytical control. \n \nIn this thesis, we study the fractionalization of spin-1/2 moments into Majorana fermions and an emergent Z2 gauge field in a generalization of the Kitaev honeycomb model to a number of three-dimensional lattices. \nWhile the excitations of the gauge field are always gapped, the fermionic quasiparticles may exhibit a gapless dispersion, forming fully two-dimensional Fermi surfaces, symmetry protected nodal lines, or topological Weyl nodes. \nWe show that one can deduce rather general constraints on the possible gapless excitations by making use of an object called the projective symmetry group. \nIn doing so we provide a scheme for classifying the various gapless Kitaev spin liquids. \nA thorough analysis is carried out for a number of these spin liquids, primarily investigating the stability of the gapless modes and the novel features resulting from their sometimes non-trivial topology, as well as their effects on certain equal-time correlation functions.