2015/10/21 by N. Y. Yao, Norman Y. Yao, M. P. Zaletel +5 · 91 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Algebraic structures and combinatorial models #Antiferromagnetism #Chemical polarity #Density matrix renormalization group #Dipole #Quantum #Quantum phases #Quantum spin liquid #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spin quantum number #Topological Materials and Phenomena #cond-mat.quant-gas #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41567-017-0030-7
published in Nature Physics 14(4), 405-410 (Nature Portfolio) · 11 pages, 8 figures
arxiv created 2015/10/21 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex publication_date 2018/02/02 · arxiv updated 2018/04/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Quantum spin liquids are a new class of magnetic ground state in which spins are quantum mechanically entangled over macroscopic scales. Motivated by recent advances in the control of polar molecules, we show that dipolar interactions between S=1/2 moments stabilize spin liquids on the triangular and kagome lattices. In the latter case, the moments spontaneously break time-reversal, forming a chiral spin liquid with robust edge modes and emergent semions. We propose a simple route toward synthesizing a dipolar Heisenberg antiferromagnet from lattice-trapped polar molecules using only a single pair of rotational states and a constant electric field.