Quantum Scalar Spin Chirality in Coplanar Kagome Antiferromagnets

TL;DR

This paper shows that quantum fluctuations can induce scalar spin chirality in coplanar kagome antiferromagnets at zero temperature, with fluctuations increasing at higher temperatures due to magnons.

Contribution

It reveals a mechanism for quantum-fluctuation-induced scalar spin chirality in coplanar antiferromagnets, expanding understanding of spin textures in quantum materials.

Findings

Quantum fluctuations generate scalar spin chirality at zero temperature.

Chirality fluctuations grow with temperature due to magnons.

Fluctuation magnitudes can match those in noncoplanar structures.

Abstract

We theoretically demonstrate that quantum fluctuations inherent to antiferromagnets can generate scalar spin chirality at zero temperature even in coplanar ordered magnets. In a kagome antiferromagnet with coplanar ground-state spin configurations, the quantum-fluctuation-induced scalar spin chirality is shown to arise at zero temperature when an effective time-reversal-like antiunitary symmetry is broken in the Hamiltonian describing fluctuations, and a magnetic point group of the classical ground state allows for its presence. The scalar spin chirality fluctuations are shown to grow further with increasing temperature by thermally excited magnons. These scalar spin chirality fluctuations can reach a magnitude comparable to the static one predicted for noncoplanar spin structures, highlighting their physical implications in coplanar spin systems.