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Experimental signatures of emergent quantum electrodynamics in Pr2Hf2O7

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Sibille, Romain, Gauthier, Nicolas, Yan, Han, Ciomaga Hatnean, Monica, Ollivier, Jacques, Winn, Barry, Filges, Uwe, Balakrishnan, Geetha, Kenzelmann, Michel, Shannon, Nic and Fennell, Tom (2018) Experimental signatures of emergent quantum electrodynamics in Pr2Hf2O7. Nature Physics, 14 . pp. 711-715. doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0116-x ISSN 1745-2473.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0116-x

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Abstract

In a quantum spin liquid, the magnetic moments of the constituent electron spins evade classical long-range order to form an exotic state that is quantum entangled and coherent over macroscopic length scales1,2. Such phases offer promising perspectives for device applications in quantum information technologies, and their study can reveal new physics in quantum matter. Quantum spin ice is an appealing proposal of one such state, in which the fundamental ground state properties and excitations are described by an emergent U(1) lattice gauge theory3,4,5,6,7. This quantum-coherent regime has quasiparticles that are predicted to behave like magnetic and electric monopoles, along with a gauge boson playing the role of an artificial photon. However, this emergent lattice quantum electrodynamics has proved elusive in experiments. Here we report neutron scattering measurements of the rare-earth pyrochlore magnet Pr2Hf2O7 that provide evidence for a quantum spin ice ground state. We find a quasi-elastic structure factor with pinch points—a signature of a classical spin ice—that are partially suppressed, as expected in the quantum-coherent regime of the lattice field theory at finite temperature. Our result allows an estimate for the speed of light associated with magnetic photon excitations. We also reveal a continuum of inelastic spin excitations, which resemble predictions for the fractionalized, topological excitations of a quantum spin ice. Taken together, these two signatures suggest that the low-energy physics of Pr2Hf2O7 can be described by emergent quantum electrodynamics. If confirmed, the observation of a quantum spin ice ground state would constitute a concrete example of a three-dimensional quantum spin liquid—a topical state of matter that has so far mostly been explored in lower dimensionalities.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Nuclear spin, Quantum electrodynamics, Crystals -- Magnetic properties, Neutrons -- Scattering
Journal or Publication Title: Nature Physics
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
ISSN: 1745-2473
Official Date: 30 April 2018
Dates:
DateEvent
30 April 2018Published
19 March 2018Accepted
6 June 2017Submitted
Volume: 14
Page Range: pp. 711-715
DOI: 10.1038/s41567-018-0116-x
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit: 13 July 2018
Date of first compliant Open Access: 30 October 2018
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
200021_140862[SNSF] Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschunghttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001711
200021_138018[SNSF] Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschunghttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001711
DE-AC05-00OR22725Basic Energy Scienceshttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100006151
EP/M028771/1[EPSRC] Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266

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