Theoretical study of quantum spin liquids in $S=1/2$ hyper-hyperkagome magnets: classification, heat capacity, and dynamical spin structure factor

TL;DR

This theoretical study classifies possible quantum spin liquids in the hyper-hyperkagome lattice, predicts their heat capacity and dynamical spin structure factors, and relates these findings to experimental observations in PbCuTe$_2$O$_6$.

Contribution

It extends previous symmetry analysis to identify specific $ ext{Z}_2$ and $U(1)$ spin liquids in the hyper-hyperkagome lattice using complex fermion mean field theory.

Findings

Identified two $ ext{Z}_2$ and one $U(1)$ spin liquids compatible with the lattice.

Predicted heat capacity differences to distinguish gapped and gapless spin liquids.

Calculated dynamical spin structure factors resembling experimental neutron scattering data.

Abstract

Recent experiments suggest a quantum spin liquid ground state in the material PbCuTe$_2$O$_6$, where $S=1/2$ moments are coupled by antiferromagnetic Heisenberg interactions into a three dimensional structure of corner sharing triangles dubbed the hyper-hyperkagome lattice. It exhibits a richer connectivity, and thus likely a stronger geometric frustration, than the relatively well studied hyperkagome lattice. Here, we investigate the possible quantum spin liquids in the $S=1/2$ hyper-hyperkagome magnet using the complex fermion mean field theory. Extending the results of a previous projective symmetry group analysis, we identify only two $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquids and a $U(1)$ spin liquid that are compatible with the hyper-hyperkagome structure. The $U(1)$ spin liquid has a spinon Fermi surface. For the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquids, one has a small excitation gap, while the other is gapless and proximate to the $U(1)$ spin liquid. We show that the gapped and gapless spin liquids can in principle be distinguished by heat capacity measurements. Moreover, we calculate the dynamical spin structure factors of all three spin liquids and find that they highly resemble the inelastic neutron scattering spectra of PbCuTe$_2$O$_6$. Implications of our work to the experiments, as well as its relations to the existing theoretical studies, are discussed.