Abstract
We consider the effect of adding quantum dynamics to a classical topological spin liquid, with a particular view of how to best detect its presence in experiment. For the Coulomb phase of spin ice, we find quantum effects to be most visible in the gauge-charged monopole excitations. In the presence of weak dilution with nonmagnetic ions we find a particularly crisp phenomenon, namely, the emergence of hydrogenic excited states in which a magnetic monopole is bound to a vacancy at various distances. Via a mapping to an analytically tractable single particle problem on the Bethe lattice, we obtain an approximate expression for the dynamic neutron scattering structure factor.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 100401 |
Journal | Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics |
Volume | 92 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2015 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics