Phonon Dynamics in the Chiral Kitaev Spin Liquid

TL;DR

This paper explores how magnetic fields influence the phonon dynamics in the extended Kitaev spin liquid, revealing the stability dependence on field direction and the interaction with Majorana fermions.

Contribution

It introduces a self-consistent mean field analysis of the extended Kitaev model under magnetic fields, focusing on phonon interactions with Majorana fermions.

Findings

Kitaev QSL stability depends on magnetic field direction.

Phonon dynamics are affected by Majorana fermion excitations.

Temperature and field influence phonon behavior.

Abstract

We investigate the effect of a magnetic field on the extended Kitaev spin liquid state through phonon dynamics. Using a constrained fermionic self-consistent mean field method, we analyze the quantum spin liquid (QSL) ground state for the extended Kitaev model with both the Zeeman term and the perturbative three-spin interaction term $\kappa$. Our results demonstrate the dependence of the stability of the Kitaev QSL state on the field direction, consistent with findings in the literature. Additionally, we calculate the phonon dynamics for acoustic phonons coupled to the Majorana fermion excitations of the Kitaev spin liquid state, discussing the temperature and field evolution of these quantities.