Quantum Spin Superfluid from Bose-Einstein Condensation of Spinons in Pyrochlore Spin Ice

TL;DR

This paper predicts a novel quantum spin superfluid state in pyrochlore quantum spin ice, arising from Bose-Einstein condensation of spinons, characterized by a deconfined Higgs condensate and a first-order phase transition.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a quantum spin superfluid state in pyrochlore spin ice, showing its emergence via a fluctuations-induced first-order transition.

Findings

Prediction of a quantum spin superfluid state in pyrochlore spin ice.

Analytical calculation of the spin superfluid density jump.

Identification of a first-order quantum phase transition from $U(1)$ spin liquid to spin superfluid.

Abstract

Quantum spin ice in pyrochlore lattice exemplifies three dimensional frustrated spin systems.In existing studies, Bose-Einstein condensation of bosonic spinons gives rise to magnetically ordered ground state.A truly liquid quantum spin superfluid state that manifests a deconfined Higgs condensate of spinons is demonstrated.This state is shown to occur in the fully antiferromagnetic case of the non-Kramers quantum spin ice with a fluctuations-induced first-order quantum phase transition from the $U(1)$ spin liquid to the spin superfluid.The spin superfluid density jump is obtained analytically.