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arXiv · 2103.10817

Topological Route to New and Unusual Coulomb Spin Liquids

Owen Benton·Roderich Moessner
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Abstract

Coulomb spin liquids are topological magnetic states obeying an emergent Gauss' law. Little distinction has been made between different kinds of Coulomb liquids. Here we show how a series of distinct Coulomb liquids can be generated straightforwardly by varying the constraints on a classical spin system. This leads to pair creation, and coalescence, of topological defects of an underlying vector field. The latter makes higher-rank spin liquids, of recent interest in the context of fracton theories, with attendant multi-fold pinch points in the structure factor, appear naturally. New Coulomb liquids with an abundance of pinch points also arise. We thus establish a new and general route to uncovering exotic Coulomb liquids, via the manipulation of topological defects in momentum space.

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Owen Benton, Roderich Moessner. 2021-03-19. Topological Route to New and Unusual Coulomb Spin Liquids. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.127.107202

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