Quantum Spin Liquid with Even Ising Gauge Field Structure on Kagome Lattice

TL;DR

This paper uses large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations to identify a $ ext{Z}_2$ quantum spin liquid with an even Ising gauge field on the kagome lattice, revealing complex phase transitions and their universality classes.

Contribution

It demonstrates the stabilization of an even Ising gauge field $ ext{Z}_2$ spin liquid on the kagome lattice through extended interactions and characterizes the nature of phase transitions involving this spin liquid.

Findings

Identification of a $ ext{Z}_2$ quantum spin liquid with even Ising gauge structure

First-order phase transitions between solid phases and spin liquid or ferromagnet

Continuous transition between spin liquid and ferromagnet in the 3D XY* universality class

Abstract

Employing large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we study the extended $XXZ$ model on the kagome lattice. A $\mathbb Z_2$ quantum spin liquid phase with effective even Ising gauge field structure emerges from the delicate balance among three symmetry-breaking phases including stripe solid, staggered solid and ferromagnet. This $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquid is stabilized by an extended interaction related to the Rokhsar-Kivelson potential in the quantum dimer model limit. The phase transitions from the staggered solid to a spin liquid or ferromagnet are found to be first order and so is the transition between the stripe solid and ferromagnet. However, the transition between a spin liquid and ferromagnet is found to be continuous and belongs to the 3D $XY^*$ universality class associated with the condensation of spinons. The transition between a spin liquid and stripe solid appears to be continuous and associated with the condensation of visons.