<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>J</mi></math>=<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mfrac><mn>1</mn><mn>2</mn></mfrac></math> pseudospins and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>d</mi><mtext>−</mtext><mi>p</mi></mrow></math> hybridization in the Kitaev spin liquid candidates <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>Ru</mi><msub><mi>X</mi><mn>3</mn></msub></math> (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>X</mi></math>=Cl, Br, I)

H. Gretarsson; H. Fujihara; F. Sato; H. Gotou; Y. Imai; K. Ohgushi; B. Keimer; H. Suzuki

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.109.L180413

Letter

$J$ = $\frac{1}{2}$ pseudospins and $d − p$ hybridization in the Kitaev spin liquid candidates $Ru X_{3}$ ( $X$ =Cl, Br, I)

H. Gretarsson ¹, H. Fujihara², F. Sato ², H. Gotou ³, Y. Imai², K. Ohgushi², B. Keimer⁴, and H. Suzuki ^5,6,*

¹Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrstraße 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
²Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
³Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP), University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
⁴Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstraße 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
⁵Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
⁶Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

^*hakuto.suzuki@tohoku.ac.jp

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Phys. Rev. B 109, L180413 – Published 29 May, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.L180413

Abstract

The recent synthesis of ruthenium trihalides $Ru X_{3}$ ( $X$ = Cl, Br, I) has enlarged the set of material candidates for Kitaev spin liquids. The realization of the Kitaev model necessitates the formation of $J = 1 / 2$ pseudospins in the octahedral crystal field. We use Ru $L_{3}$ -edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to investigate the evolution of multiplet structures in $Ru X_{3}$ . We identified quasielastic magnetic correlations and spin-orbit transitions to the $J = 3 / 2$ states without discernible trigonal splitting, thereby validating the $J = 1 / 2$ description of magnetism in the $Ru X_{3}$ family. Lineshape broadening in ${RuI}_{3}$ provides evidence for its bulk metallicity in the vicinity of a bandwidth-controlled metal-insulator transition. Our results highlight the pivotal role of halogen $p$ orbitals in controlling the electronic properties of $Ru X_{3}$ .

Physical Review B

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$J$ = $\frac{1}{2}$ pseudospins and $d − p$ hybridization in the Kitaev spin liquid candidates $Ru X_{3}$ ( $X$ =Cl, Br, I)

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J=12 pseudospins and d−p hybridization in the Kitaev spin liquid candidates RuX3 (X=Cl, Br, I)

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$J$ = $\frac{1}{2}$ pseudospins and $d − p$ hybridization in the Kitaev spin liquid candidates $Ru X_{3}$ ( $X$ =Cl, Br, I)