| Literature DB >> 25933336 |
M Hermanns1, K O'Brien1, S Trebst1.
Abstract
The fractionalization of quantum numbers in interacting quantum many-body systems is a central motif in condensed-matter physics with prominent examples including the fractionalization of the electron in quantum Hall liquids or the emergence of magnetic monopoles in spin-ice materials. Here, we discuss the fractionalization of magnetic moments in three-dimensional Kitaev models into Majorana fermions (and a Z_{2} gauge field) and their emergent collective behavior. We analytically demonstrate that the Majorana fermions form a Weyl superconductor for the Kitaev model on the recently synthesized hyperhoneycomb structure of β-Li_{2}IrO_{3} when applying a magnetic field. We characterize the topologically protected bulk and surface features of this state, which we dub a Weyl spin liquid, including thermodynamic and transport signatures.Year: 2015 PMID: 25933336 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.157202
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Phys Rev Lett ISSN: 0031-9007 Impact factor: 9.161