Possible intermediate quantum spin liquid phase in α-RuCl3 under high magnetic fields up to 100 T

Xu-Guang Zhou, Han Li, Yasuhiro H. Matsuda (), Akira Matsuo, Wei Li (), Nobuyuki Kurita, Gang Su, Koichi Kindo and Hidekazu Tanaka
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Xu-Guang Zhou: University of Tokyo
Han Li: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yasuhiro H. Matsuda: University of Tokyo
Akira Matsuo: University of Tokyo
Wei Li: Beihang University
Nobuyuki Kurita: Tokyo Institute of Technology
Gang Su: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Koichi Kindo: University of Tokyo
Hidekazu Tanaka: Tokyo Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Pursuing the exotic quantum spin liquid (QSL) state in the Kitaev material α-RuCl3 has intrigued great research interest recently. A fascinating question is on the possible existence of a field-induced QSL phase in this compound. Here we perform high-field magnetization measurements of α-RuCl3 up to 102 T employing the non-destructive and destructive pulsed magnets. Under the out-of-plane field along the c* axis (i.e., perpendicular to the honeycomb plane), two quantum phase transitions are uncovered at respectively 35 T and about 83 T, between which lies an intermediate phase as the predicted QSL. This is in sharp contrast to the case with in-plane fields, where a single transition is found at around 7 T and the intermediate QSL phase is absent instead. By measuring the magnetization data with fields tilted from the c* axis up to 90° (i.e., in-plane direction), we obtain the field-angle phase diagram that contains the zigzag, paramagnetic, and QSL phases. Based on the K-J-Γ- $${{{\Gamma }}}^{{\prime} }$$ Γ ′ model for α-RuCl3 with a large Kitaev term we perform density matrix renormalization group simulations and reproduce the quantum phase diagram in excellent agreement with experiments.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41232-7

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