Tangle of spin double helices in the honeycomb Kitaev- <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Γ</mml:mi> </mml:math> model

We investigate the ground-state nature of the honeycomb Kitaev- <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <a:mi mathvariant="normal">Γ</a:mi> </a:math> model in the material-relevant parameter regime through a combination of analytics and classical and quantum simulations. We find the classical model is imprinted with a tangle of highly structured spin double helices. This helix tangle consists of 18 inequivalent helices and features modulation of multiple rotation axes, an anisotropy in spacial periodicities indicative of spontaneous symmetry breaking, and a <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <c:mrow> <c:mi>sgn</c:mi> <c:mo>(</c:mo> <c:mi mathvariant="normal">Γ</c:mi> <c:mo>)</c:mo> </c:mrow> </c:math> -determined chirality pattern. Infinite projected entangled pair state simulations with clusters of up to 36 sites identify hallmarks of this unprecedented many-body order in the quantum spin- <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <e:mrow> <e:mn>1</e:mn> <e:mo>/</e:mo> <e:mn>2</e:mn> </e:mrow> </e:math> model. Our findings provide a fresh perspective of the Kitaev- <f:math xmlns:f="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <f:mi mathvariant="normal">Γ</f:mi> </f:math> model and enrich the physics of the Kitaev magnetism.