3D Kitaev spin liquids

Seminar über Theoretische Festkörperphysik

Vortragender:

Dr. Maria Hermanns

Datum:

24.04.2017 14:00

Ort:

Room 10.01, 10th Floor, Bldg. 30.23, KIT Campus South

Zugehörigkeit:

Theoretical Physics Department, University of Cologne

Gastgeber:

Prof. Dr. Jörg Schmalian

Abstract

One of the most intriguing phenomena in strongly correlated systems is the fractionalization of quantum numbers — familiar examples include the spin-charge separation in one-dimensional metallic systems, the fractionalization of the electron in fractional quantum Hall states or the emergence of monopoles in spin ice.

In this talk, I will discuss the fractionalization of magnetic moments in a certain class of Mott insulators, which might be realized in a class of recently synthesized Iridate compounds. These systems are among the prime examples for quantum spin liquids - strongly correlated spin systems that show no magnetic order down to zero temperatures and whose spin excitations are fractionalized. In the models we focus on, the fractionalized degrees of freedom are Majorana fermions that may form various types of (semi-)metals. In particular, they can mimic the rich behavior found in Dirac materials, albeit with spin instead of electronic degrees of freedom.