Thermal interferometry of anyons in spin liquids

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel heat transport interferometry method to detect anyonic statistics in quantum spin liquids, overcoming limitations of traditional electric current-based techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a new protocol using heat transport in interferometer geometries to reveal fractional statistics in charge-insulating spin liquids.

Findings

Heat transport shows distinct behaviors in different interferometer geometries.

The method enables probing anyonic statistics without charged quasiparticles.

Demonstrates feasibility of heat-based interferometry in quantum spin liquids.

Abstract

Aharonov-Bohm interferometry is the most direct probe of anyonic statistics in the quantum Hall effect. The technique involves oscillations of the electric current as a function of the magnetic field and is not applicable to Kitaev spin liquids and other systems without charged quasiparticles. Here, we establish a novel protocol, involving heat transport, for revealing fractional statistics even in the absence of charged excitations, as is the case in quantum spin liquids. Specifically, we demonstrate that heat transport in Kitaev spin liquids through two distinct interferometer geometries, Fabry-Perot and Mach-Zehnder, exhibits drastically different behaviors. Therefore, we propose the use of heat transport interferometry as a probe of anyonic statistics in charge insulators.