Quantum spin liquids

Spin liquids are quantum phases of matter with a variety of unusual features arising from their topological character, including fractionalization-elementary excitations that behave as fractions of an electron. Although there is not yet universally accepted experimental evidence that establishes that any single material has a spin liquid ground state, in the past few years a number of materials have been shown to exhibit distinctive properties that are expected of a quantum spin liquid, Here, we review theoretical and experimental progress in this area.