Fermion zero mode and deconfinement of spinons in two dimensional antiferromagnetism at zero temperature

Zaira Nazario, David Santiago

Ki‐Seok Kim

We investigate the quantum antiferromagnetism arising from algebraic spin liquid via spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking. We claim that in the antiferromagnet massive Dirac spinons can appear to make a broad continuum spectrum at high energies in inelastic neutron scattering. The mechanism of spinon deconfinement results from the existence of fermion zero modes in single monopole potentials. N\'eel vectors can make a hedgehog configuration around a magnetic monopole of compact U(1) gauge fields. Remarkably, in the monopole composite potential the Dirac fermion is shown to have a zero mode. The emergence of the fermion zero mode forbids the condensation of monopoles, resulting in deconfinement of Dirac spinons in the quantum antiferromagnet.

Ki‐Seok Kim

We investigate the quantum phase transition from antiferromagnetism ($AF$) to algebraic spin liquid ($ASL$). {\it We propose that spin 1/2 fermionic spinons in the $ASL$ fractionalize into spin 1/2 bosonic spinons and spinless fermions at the quantum critical point ($QCP$) between the $AF$ and the $ASL$}. Condensation of the bosonic spinons leads to the $AF$, where the condensed bosonic spinons are confined with the spinless fermions to form the fermionic spinons. These fermionic spinons are also confined to make antiferromagnons as elementary excitations in the $AF$. {\it Approaching the $QCP$ from the $AF$, spin 1 critical antiferromagnetic fluctuations are expected to break up into spin 1/2 critical bosonic spinons. Then, these bosonic spinons hybridize with spin 1/2 fermionic spinons, making spinless fermions}. As a result the fermionic spinons decay into the bosonic spinons and the spinless fermions. But, the spinless fermions are confined and thus, only the bosonic spinons emerge at the $QCP$. This coincides with the recent studies of {\it deconfined quantum criticality}\cite{Laughlin_deconfinement,Senthil_deconfinement,Kim1,Ichinose_de confinement}. When the bosonic spinons are gapped, the $ASL$ is realized. The bosonic spinons are confined with the spinless fermions to form the fermionic spinons. These fermionic spinons are deconfined to describe the $ASL$.

Efstratios Manousakis

Peng Ye, Chu-Shun Tian, Xiao-Liang Qi +1 more

In the t-J model, the electron fractionalization is dictated by the phase string effect. We find that in the underdoped regime, the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases are dual: in the former, holons are confined while spinons are deconfined, and vice versa in the latter. These two phases are separated by a novel phase, the so-called Bose-insulating phase, where both holons and spinons are deconfined. A pair of Wilson loops was found to constitute a complete set of order parameters determining this zero-temperature phase diagram. The quantum phase transitions between these phases are suggested to be of non-Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson type.

Hong Q. Ding