Evidence of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase in a frustrated magnet

Ze Hu, Zhen Ma, Yuan-Da Liao, Han Li, Chunsheng Ma, Yi Cui, Yanyan Shangguan, Zhentao Huang, Yang Qi (), Wei Li (), Zi Yang Meng (), Jinsheng Wen () and Weiqiang Yu ()
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Ze Hu: Renmin University of China
Zhen Ma: Nanjing University
Yuan-Da Liao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Han Li: Beihang University
Chunsheng Ma: Renmin University of China
Yi Cui: Renmin University of China
Yanyan Shangguan: Nanjing University
Zhentao Huang: Nanjing University
Yang Qi: Fudan University
Wei Li: Beihang University
Zi Yang Meng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jinsheng Wen: Nanjing University
Weiqiang Yu: Renmin University of China

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract The Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) mechanism, building upon proliferation of topological defects in 2D systems, is the first example of phase transition beyond the Landau-Ginzburg paradigm of symmetry breaking. Such a topological phase transition has long been sought yet undiscovered directly in magnetic materials. Here, we pin down two transitions that bound a BKT phase in an ideal 2D frustrated magnet TmMgGaO4, via nuclear magnetic resonance under in-plane magnetic fields, which do not disturb the low-energy electronic states and allow BKT fluctuations to be detected sensitively. Moreover, by applying out-of-plane fields, we find a critical scaling behavior of the magnetic susceptibility expected for the BKT transition. The experimental findings can be explained by quantum Monte Carlo simulations applied on an accurate triangular-lattice Ising model of the compound which hosts a BKT phase. These results provide a concrete example for the BKT phase and offer an ideal platform for future investigations on the BKT physics in magnetic materials.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19380-x

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