Identification of magnetic interactions and high-field quantum spin liquid in α-RuCl3

Abstract

The nature of spin interactions and the field-induced quantum spin liquid phase in a Kitaev material α-RuCl3 have been debated. Here, using a combination of many-body techniques, the authors derive an effective spin model that explains the majority of experimental findings and predicts a new quantum spin liquid phase in strong out-of-plane magnetic field.