Classification and correlation signatures of chiral spin liquids on the pyrochlore lattice

We present a systematic classification and variational study of chiral quantum spin liquids on the pyrochlore lattice based on fermionic parton constructions. Focusing on chiral $\mathrm{U(1)}$ and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin-liquid {\it Ans"atze}, we characterize their symmetry properties, flux structures, and low-energy spinon spectra within a projective symmetry group framework, and incorporate gauge fluctuations through Gutzwiller-projected wave functions studied by variational Monte Carlo. From the equal-time spin structure factor, we develop correlation-based diagnostics that distinguish gauge-dominated Coulomb phases from states with substantial matter-field and short-range contributions. Distinct chiral flux sectors, though close in energy, exhibit markedly different degrees of emergent $\mathrm{U(1)}$ gauge-field dominance, reflected in the geometry and contrast of pinch-point singularities. Although these states are not competitive ground states of the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model, they define a physically meaningful family of proximate chiral phases relevant to extended pyrochlore Hamiltonians.

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Publication Details

Journal
Reports on Progress in Physics
Published
2026-07-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/ae8572
Primary Topic
Advanced Condensed Matter Physics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Classification and correlation signatures of chiral spin liquids on the pyrochlore lattice

Yasir Iqbal, Chunxiao Liu, Leon Balents
Reports on Progress in Physics
Advanced Condensed Matter Physics
article

Classification and correlation signatures of chiral spin liquids on the pyrochlore lattice

Yasir Iqbal, Chunxiao Liu, Leon Balents
article en

Abstract

We present a systematic classification and variational study of chiral quantum spin liquids on the pyrochlore lattice based on fermionic parton constructions. Focusing on chiral $\mathrm{U(1)}$ and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin-liquid {\it Ans\"atze}, we characterize their symmetry properties, flux structures, and low-energy spinon spectra within a projective symmetry group framework, and incorporate gauge fluctuations through Gutzwiller-projected wave functions studied by variational Monte Carlo. From the equal-time spin structure factor, we develop correlation-based diagnostics that distinguish gauge-dominated Coulomb phases from states with substantial matter-field and short-range contributions. Distinct chiral flux sectors, though close in energy, exhibit markedly different degrees of emergent $\mathrm{U(1)}$ gauge-field dominance, reflected in the geometry and contrast of pinch-point singularities. Although these states are not competitive ground states of the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model, they define a physically meaningful family of proximate chiral phases relevant to extended pyrochlore Hamiltonians.

Reports on Progress in Physics
University of California, Santa Barbara (US), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IN), Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
Simons Foundation, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Advanced Condensed Matter Physics
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