Topological Route to New and Unusual Coulomb Spin Liquids

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method to generate diverse Coulomb spin liquids by manipulating topological defects in momentum space, revealing new phases with complex pinch point structures and connections to fracton theories.

Contribution

It demonstrates how varying constraints in classical spin systems can produce a variety of Coulomb liquids, including higher-rank and fracton-related phases, through topological defect manipulation.

Findings

Multiple distinct Coulomb liquids can be generated by constraint variation.

Higher-rank spin liquids with multi-fold pinch points naturally emerge.

New Coulomb liquids with abundant pinch points are identified.

Abstract

Coulomb spin liquids are topological magnetic states obeying an emergent Gauss' law. Little distinction has been made between different kinds of Coulomb liquids. Here we show how a series of distinct Coulomb liquids can be generated straightforwardly by varying the constraints on a classical spin system. This leads to pair creation, and coalescence, of topological defects of an underlying vector field. The latter makes higher-rank spin liquids, of recent interest in the context of fracton theories, with attendant multi-fold pinch points in the structure factor, appear naturally. New Coulomb liquids with an abundance of pinch points also arise. We thus establish a new and general route to uncovering exotic Coulomb liquids, via the manipulation of topological defects in momentum space.