We investigate the signatures of fractionalization in quantum spin liquids by studying different phases of the Kitaev honeycomb model in the presence of an out-of-plane magnetic field through which the model becomes nonintegrable. Using the infinite projected entangled pair states (iPEPS) ansatz, along with analytical calculations and exact diagonalization, we calculate dynamical signatures of fractionalized particles through spin-spin and dimer-dimer correlations. Our analysis demonstrates the ability of these correlations to discern distinct fractionalized quantum sectors, namely Majorana fermions and the emergent $Z_2$ fluxes, in both the chiral spin-liquid (CSL) phase under weak field and the emergent intermediate gapless phase (IGP) under moderate field. Importantly, our calculation reveals the nature of IGP observed at moderate fields, a region of ongoing debate, indicating that this phase is a Majorana metal induced by strong flux fluctuations.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Spin liquid
• Strongly correlated systems
• Kitaev model
• Tensor network renormalization