Magnetic Excitations and Interactions in the Kitaev Hyperhoneycomb Iridate $\beta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic excitations in the three-dimensional hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet $eta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ using various spectroscopic techniques, revealing insights into its spin interactions and proximity to a Kitaev spin liquid phase.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive experimental analysis combined with theoretical modeling to elucidate the magnetic interactions in $eta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$, highlighting the role of anisotropic couplings.

Findings

Observation of a broad spectral peak at 12 meV in INS data.

Detection of a peak at 2.8 meV in THz spectroscopy.

Identification of the proximity to the Kitaev spin liquid phase.

Abstract

We present a thorough experimental study of the three-dimensional hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet $\beta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$, using a combination of inelastic neutron scattering (INS), time-domain THz spectroscopy, and heat capacity measurements. The main results include a massive low-temperature reorganization of the INS spectral weight that evolves into a broad peak centered around 12 meV, and a distinctive peak in the THz data at 2.8(1) meV. A detailed comparison to powder-averaged spin-wave theory calculations reveals that the positions of these two features are controlled by the anisotropic $\Gamma$ coupling and the Heisenberg exchange $J$, respectively. The refined microscopic spin model places $\beta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ in close proximity to the Kitaev spin liquid phase.