Fractionalized Kitaev model in a low magnetic field along [1 1 1]

The fate of exotic spin liquid states with fractionalized excitations at finite temperature ($T$) is of great interest, since signatures of fractionalization manifest in finite-temperature ($T$) dynamics in real systems, above the tiny magnetic ordering scales. Here, we study a Jordan-Wigner fermionized Kitaev spin liquid at finite $T$ employing combined Exact diagonalization and Monte Carlo simulation methods. We uncover $(i)$ checkerboard or stripy-ordered flux crystals depending on density of flux, and $(ii)$ establish, surprisingly, that: $(a)$ the finite-$T$ version of the $T=0$ transition from a gapless to gapped phases in the Kitaev model is a Mott transition of the fermions, belonging to the two-dimensional Ising universality class. These transitions correspond to a topological transition between a string condensate and a dilute closed string state $(b)$ the Mott "insulator" phase is a precise realization of Laughlin's gossamer (here, p-wave) superconductor (g-SC), and $(c)$ the Kitaev Toric Code phase (TC) is a {\it fully} Gutzwiller-projected p-wave SC. These findings establish the finite-$T$ QSL phases in the $d = 2$ to be {\it hidden} Fermi liquid(s) of neutral fermions.

M. S. Laad

Papers

Hidden Fermi Liquidity and Topological Criticality in the Finite Temperature Kitaev Model

Hidden Fermi liquidity and topological criticality in the finite temperature Kitaev model