The spectral periodicity of spinon continuum in quantum spin ice

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:17060048,
            doi = {10.48660/17060048},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/17060048},
            author = {Chen, Gang},
            keywords = {Condensed Matter},
            language = {en},
            title = {The spectral periodicity of spinon continuum in quantum spin ice},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2017},
            month = {jun},
            note = {PIRSA:17060048 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

Motivated by the rapid experimental progress of quantum spin ice materials, we study the dynamical properties of pyrochlore spin ice in the U(1) spin liquid phases. In particular, we focus on the spinon excitations that appear in high energies and show up as an excitation continuum in the dynamic spin structure factor. The keen connection between the crystal symmetry fractionalization of the spinons and the spectral periodicity of the spinon continuum is emphasized and explicitly demonstrated. The enhanced spectral periodicity of the spinon continuum provides a sharp physical observable to detect the spin quantum number fractionalization and U(1) spin liquid. Our prediction can be immediately examined by inelastic neutron scattering experiments among quantum spin ice materials with Kramers' doublets. Further application to the non-Kramers' doublets is discussed. If time permits, I will present some of our recent work in this field.