Z2 metallic spin liquid on a frustrated Kondo lattice

Metallic spin liquid has been reported in several correlated metals, but a satisfactory theoretical description is not yet available. Here we propose a potential route to realize the metallic spin liquid and construct an effective Z(2) gauge theory with charged fractionalized excitations on the triangular Kondo lattice. This leads to a Z(2) metallic spin liquid featured with long-lived, heavy holon excitations of spin 0 and charge +e and a partially enlarged electron Fermi surface. It differs from the weak-coupling FL* state proposed earlier and may be viewed as a fractionalized heavy fermion liquid. Our theory provides a general framework to describe the metallic spin liquid in frustrated Kondo lattice systems.

Automated summary

Metallic spin liquid has been observed in correlated metals, but a satisfactory theoretical description is lacking. This study proposes a potential approach to achieve metallic spin liquid by constructing an effective gauge theory with charged fractionalized excitations on the triangular Kondo lattice. The resulting Z(2) metallic spin liquid exhibits long-lived, heavy holon excitations of spin 0 and charge +e, as well as a partially enlarged electron Fermi surface.