Field-Angle-Resolved Specific Heat in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$: Evidence against Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquid

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Fang, Shengjie, Imamura, Kumpei, Mizukami, Yuta, Namba, Ryuichi, Ishihara, Kota, Hashimoto, Kenichiro, Shibauchi, Takasada
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Fang, Shengjie
Imamura, Kumpei
Mizukami, Yuta
Namba, Ryuichi
Ishihara, Kota
Hashimoto, Kenichiro
Shibauchi, Takasada
author_facet Fang, Shengjie
Imamura, Kumpei
Mizukami, Yuta
Namba, Ryuichi
Ishihara, Kota
Hashimoto, Kenichiro
Shibauchi, Takasada
contents Kitaev quantum spin liquids (KSLs) in layered honeycomb magnets are known to host Majorana quasiparticles, whose excitations depend strongly on the direction of the applied magnetic field. In the high-field phase of $α$-RuCl$_3$, specific heat measurements have revealed characteristic field-angle dependence of low-energy excitations consistent with the Kitaev model, providing bulk evidence for the KSL state. Here we present low-temperature measurements of specific heat $C(T)$ for another KSL candidate $\textrm{Na}_2\textrm{Co}_2\textrm{Te}\textrm{O}_6$ (NCTO) under field rotation within the honeycomb plane. Above the critical field of antiferromagnetic order, the field-angle dependence of $C/T$ exhibits minima along the bond directions, contrasting with the maxima observed in the KSL state of $α$-RuCl$_3$. Our analysis indicates nodeless, fully-gapped excitations, which are inconsistent with the angle-dependent Majorana excitations with gapless nodes predicted by the Kitaev model. These findings suggest that low-energy excitations in NCTO are governed by gapped magnon excitations rather than Majorana quasiparticles, providing thermodynamic evidence against a KSL state.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_18449
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Field-Angle-Resolved Specific Heat in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$: Evidence against Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquid
Fang, Shengjie
Imamura, Kumpei
Mizukami, Yuta
Namba, Ryuichi
Ishihara, Kota
Hashimoto, Kenichiro
Shibauchi, Takasada
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Kitaev quantum spin liquids (KSLs) in layered honeycomb magnets are known to host Majorana quasiparticles, whose excitations depend strongly on the direction of the applied magnetic field. In the high-field phase of $α$-RuCl$_3$, specific heat measurements have revealed characteristic field-angle dependence of low-energy excitations consistent with the Kitaev model, providing bulk evidence for the KSL state. Here we present low-temperature measurements of specific heat $C(T)$ for another KSL candidate $\textrm{Na}_2\textrm{Co}_2\textrm{Te}\textrm{O}_6$ (NCTO) under field rotation within the honeycomb plane. Above the critical field of antiferromagnetic order, the field-angle dependence of $C/T$ exhibits minima along the bond directions, contrasting with the maxima observed in the KSL state of $α$-RuCl$_3$. Our analysis indicates nodeless, fully-gapped excitations, which are inconsistent with the angle-dependent Majorana excitations with gapless nodes predicted by the Kitaev model. These findings suggest that low-energy excitations in NCTO are governed by gapped magnon excitations rather than Majorana quasiparticles, providing thermodynamic evidence against a KSL state.
title Field-Angle-Resolved Specific Heat in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$: Evidence against Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquid
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.18449