The $\mathrm{spin}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain is ideal for realizing one of the simplest gapless quantum spin liquids (QSLs), supporting a many-body ground state whose elementary excitations are fractional fermionic excitations called spinons. Here we report the discovery of such a one-dimensional (1D) QSL in
Cs4CuSb2Cl12. Compared to previously reported
S=21 1D chains, this material possesses a wider temperature range over which the QSL state is stabilized. We identify spinon excitations extending at
T>0.8K, with a large
T-linear contribution to the specific heat, $\ensuremath{\gamma}=31.5(2)\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mJ}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mo}{\mathrm{l}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, which contribute itinerantly to thermal transport up to temperatures as high as
T=35K. At
T=0.7K, we find a second-order phase transition that is unchanged by a ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}H=5\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{T}$ magnetic field.
Cs4CuSb2Cl12 reveals new phenomenology deep in the 1D QSL regime, supporting a gapped QSL phase over a wide temperature range compared to many other experimental realizations.
Quantum phases with topological order, such as quantum spin liquids, have been the focus of explorations for several decades. Such phases feature a number of remarkable properties including long-range quantum entanglement. Moreover, they can be potentially exploited for the realization of robust quantum computation, as exemplified by the paradigmatic toric code model. While some indications that such phases may be present in frustrated condensed matter systems have been previously reported, so far quantum spin liquids have eluded direct experimental detection. In this talk, I will show how a programmable quantum simulator based on Rydberg atom arrays can be used to realize and probe quantum spin liquid states. In our approach, atoms are placed on the links of a kagome lattice and coherent evolution under Rydberg blockade enables the transition into frustrated quantum states with no local order. We detect the onset of a quantum spin liquid phase of the toric code type by measuring topological string operators in two complementary bases. The properties of this state are further revealed using a lattice with non-trivial topology, representing a step towards the realization of a topological qubit. Our observations open the door to the controlled experimental exploration of topological quantum matter, and could enable the investigation of new methods for topologically protected quantum information processing.
The realization of quantum spin liquids (QSLs) in Kitaev magnets represents an intriguing topic in frustrated quantum magnetism. Despite prediction in the pure Kitaev honeycomb model, realization of QSLs in realistic systems and materials remain scarce. The recent discovery of cobalt-based compound Na
2Co
2TeO
6 has raised significant research interest. By establishing a realistic
K-
J-
Γ-
Γ′ model for Na
2Co
2TeO
6 -- with a dominant antiferromagnetic (AFM) Kitaev interaction (
K>0) that quantitatively explains its thermodynamics measurements -- we reveal an intermediate gapless QSL phase under [111] magnetic fields with tensor-network calculations. We confirm the QSL nature of this phase by demonstrating its adiabatic connection to the intensively studied intermediate QSL of the pure AFM Kitaev model under out-of-plane fields. Our results show excellent agreement with recent high-field experiments, thereby explaining the intermediate-field phase in Na
2Co
2TeO
6. These findings bridge the gap between theoretical proposals for a Kitaev-derived QSL and experimental realization, opening new avenues for exploring exotic quantum states of matter in realistic Kitaev materials.