A Proposal to Use Neutron Scattering to Measure Scalar Spin Chirality Fluctuations in Kagome Lattices

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method using neutron scattering to measure scalar spin chirality fluctuations in Kagome lattices, which are relevant for understanding quantum spin liquids and emergent gauge fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to detect scalar spin chirality fluctuations via neutron scattering in Kagome lattices with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions.

Findings

Neutron scattering measurements of Sz can reveal chirality fluctuations.

Chirality fluctuation spectrum is linked to measurable Sz fluctuations.

The method provides a new way to probe gauge fields in quantum spin liquids.

Abstract

In the theory of quantum spin liquids, gauge fluctuations are emergent excitations at low energy. The gauge magnetic field is proportional to the scalar spin chirality, S1.(S2xS3). It is therefore highly desirable to measure the fluctuation spectrum of the scalar spin chirality. We show that in the Kagome lattice with a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya term, the fluctuation in Sz which is readily measured by neutron scattering contains a piece which is proportional to the chirality fluctuation.