Journal
SCIENCE
Volume 356, Issue 6342, Pages 1055-1058Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/science.aah6015
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- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Scientific User Facilities Division
- DOE, Office of Science, BES, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's EPiQS Initiative [GBMF4416]
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [SFB 1143]
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
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The Kitaev quantum spin liquid (KQSL) is an exotic emergent state of matter exhibiting Majorana fermion and gauge flux excitations. The magnetic insulator alpha-RuCl3 is thought to realize a proximate KQSL. We used neutron scattering on single crystals of alpha-RuCl3 to reconstruct dynamical correlations in energy-momentum space. We discovered highly unusual signals, including a column of scattering over a large energy interval around the Brillouin zone center, which is very stable with temperature. This finding is consistent with scattering from the Majorana excitations of a KQSL. Other, more delicate experimental features can be transparently associated with perturbations to an ideal model. Our results encourage further study of this prototypical material and may open a window into investigating emergent magnetic Majorana fermions in correlated materials.
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