Signatures of fractionalization in the optical phonons of hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2024
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| _version_ | 1866912070914539520 |
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| author | Swarup, Swetlana Singh, Susmita Perkins, Natalia B. |
| author_facet | Swarup, Swetlana Singh, Susmita Perkins, Natalia B. |
| contents | In this study, we propose that the signatures of spin fractionalization in quantum magnets can be identified through a detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the asymmetric Fano lineshape of optical phonons overlapping with a continuum of spin excitations. We focus on the hyperhoneycomb magnet $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$, a promising candidate for being in proximity to a three-dimensional Kitaev quantum spin liquid. The Raman response in $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ notably displays a distinctive asymmetric Fano lineshape in the 24 meV Raman-active optical phonon. This asymmetry arises from the interaction between the discrete phonon mode and the spin excitation continuum, which could be fractionalized if the material is indeed near a quantum spin-liquid phase. Our theoretical model considers the coupling of this optical phonon to Majorana fermions in the Kitaev model on the hyperhoneycomb lattice. Our findings reveal that the temperature-dependent Fano lineshape is consistent with the fractionalization of spins into Majorana fermions and $\mathbb{Z}{_2}$ fluxes. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_15993 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Signatures of fractionalization in the optical phonons of hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ Swarup, Swetlana Singh, Susmita Perkins, Natalia B. Strongly Correlated Electrons In this study, we propose that the signatures of spin fractionalization in quantum magnets can be identified through a detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the asymmetric Fano lineshape of optical phonons overlapping with a continuum of spin excitations. We focus on the hyperhoneycomb magnet $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$, a promising candidate for being in proximity to a three-dimensional Kitaev quantum spin liquid. The Raman response in $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ notably displays a distinctive asymmetric Fano lineshape in the 24 meV Raman-active optical phonon. This asymmetry arises from the interaction between the discrete phonon mode and the spin excitation continuum, which could be fractionalized if the material is indeed near a quantum spin-liquid phase. Our theoretical model considers the coupling of this optical phonon to Majorana fermions in the Kitaev model on the hyperhoneycomb lattice. Our findings reveal that the temperature-dependent Fano lineshape is consistent with the fractionalization of spins into Majorana fermions and $\mathbb{Z}{_2}$ fluxes. |
| title | Signatures of fractionalization in the optical phonons of hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ |
| topic | Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15993 |