Gapless fracton quantum spin liquid and emergent photons in a 2D spin-1 model

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Main Authors: Niggemann, Nils, Adhikary, Meghadeepa, Schaden-Thillmann, Yannik, Reuther, Johannes
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Niggemann, Nils
Adhikary, Meghadeepa
Schaden-Thillmann, Yannik
Reuther, Johannes
author_facet Niggemann, Nils
Adhikary, Meghadeepa
Schaden-Thillmann, Yannik
Reuther, Johannes
contents Gapless fracton quantum spin liquids are exotic phases of matter described by higher-rank U(1) gauge theories which host gapped and immobile fracton matter excitations as well as gapless photons. Despite well-known field theories, no spin models beyond purely classical systems have been identified to realize these phases. Using error-controlled Green function Monte Carlo, here we investigate a square lattice spin-1 model that shows precise signatures of a fracton quantum spin liquid without indications of conventional ordering. Specifically, the magnetic response exhibits characteristic patterns of suppressed pinch points that accurately match the prediction of a rank-2 U(1) field theory and reveals the existence of emergent photon excitations in 2+1 spacetime dimensions. Remarkably, this type of fracton quantum spin liquid is not only identified in the system's ground state but also in generic low-energy sectors of a strongly fragmented Hilbert space.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_06605
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Gapless fracton quantum spin liquid and emergent photons in a 2D spin-1 model
Niggemann, Nils
Adhikary, Meghadeepa
Schaden-Thillmann, Yannik
Reuther, Johannes
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Quantum Gases
Gapless fracton quantum spin liquids are exotic phases of matter described by higher-rank U(1) gauge theories which host gapped and immobile fracton matter excitations as well as gapless photons. Despite well-known field theories, no spin models beyond purely classical systems have been identified to realize these phases. Using error-controlled Green function Monte Carlo, here we investigate a square lattice spin-1 model that shows precise signatures of a fracton quantum spin liquid without indications of conventional ordering. Specifically, the magnetic response exhibits characteristic patterns of suppressed pinch points that accurately match the prediction of a rank-2 U(1) field theory and reveals the existence of emergent photon excitations in 2+1 spacetime dimensions. Remarkably, this type of fracton quantum spin liquid is not only identified in the system's ground state but also in generic low-energy sectors of a strongly fragmented Hilbert space.
title Gapless fracton quantum spin liquid and emergent photons in a 2D spin-1 model
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
Quantum Gases
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.06605