Field-induced QCD$_3$-Chern-Simons quantum criticalities in Kitaev materials

TL;DR

This paper explores field-induced quantum phase transitions in Kitaev materials, revealing they can be described by QCD$_3$-Chern-Simons theories, and suggests these materials could serve as experimental platforms for studying emergent strongly interacting particles in 2+1 dimensions.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for understanding quantum criticalities in Kitaev materials using QCD$_3$-Chern-Simons gauge theories, highlighting potential continuous transitions and experimental relevance.

Findings

Transitions can be described by critical bosons or gapless fermions coupled to non-Abelian gauge fields.

Proposes all these quantum phase transitions may be direct and continuous.

Kitaev materials could serve as platforms to study emergent quarks and gluons in 2+1 dimensions.

Abstract

Kitaev materials are promising for realizing exotic quantum spin liquid phases, such as a non-Abelian chiral spin liquid. Motivated by recent experiments in these materials, we theoretically study the novel field-induced quantum phase transitions from the non-Abelian chiral spin liquid to the symmetry-broken zigzag phase and to the trivial polarized state. Utilizing the recently developed dualities of gauge theories, we find these transitions can be described by critical bosons or gapless fermions coupled to emergent non-Abelian gauge fields, and the critical theories are of the type of a QCD$_3$-Chern-Simons theory. We propose that all these exotic quantum phase transitions can potentially be direct and continuous in Kitaev materials, and we present sound evidence for this proposal. Therefore, besides being systems with intriguing quantum magnetism, Kitaev materials may also serve as table-top experimental platforms to study the interesting dynamics of emergent strongly interacting quarks and gluons in $2+1$ dimensions.