Role of non-magnetic disorder in a doped U(1) spin liquid

TL;DR

This paper explores how non-magnetic disorder affects a doped U(1) spin liquid, revealing that disorder traps massive spinons, effectively turning non-magnetic impurities into magnetic ones.

Contribution

It demonstrates that non-magnetic disorder can localize spinons in a doped U(1) spin liquid, altering the nature of excitations and impurity effects.

Findings

Non-magnetic disorder traps massive spinons.

Disorder acts as magnetic impurity due to localized spins.

Implications for stability of spin liquid phases.

Abstract

Recently we investigated a role of non-magnetic disorder on the stability of a U(1) spin liquid ($U1SL$) [cond-mat/0407151; Phys. Rev. B (R) accepted]. In the present paper we examine an effect of the non-magnetic disorder on a doped $U1SL$. In a recent study [cond-mat/0408236] we have shown that the doped $U1SL$ shows deconfined massive spinon excitations in the superconducting phase as a result of holon condensation. We find that the massive spinon is trapped by the non-magnetic disorder. Owing to the localized spin the non-magnetic disorder acts as magnetic one.