Search for Kitaev spin liquid in K2IrO3

Majorana fermion, proposed by Ettore Majorana in 1937, is a putative elementary spin-1/2 particle that is its own antiparticle. In condensed-matter systems, analogs of Majorana fermions can be realized as quasiparticle excitations of a Kitaev’s honeycomb lattice. The elusive Majorana fermions, the simplest possible non-Abelian anyons, have real-life implications for building a fault-free quantum computer. The newly reported copper iridate K2IrO3 is in a closer realization of Kitaev spin liquid than its predecessors A2IrO3 (A = Na, Li). The goal of this project is to provide an ultimate experimental proof of a Kitaev spin-liquid ground state. A combined zero- and longitudinal-field μSR study of the K2IrO3 will unravel fundamental insights into zero-field and field-induced spin dynamics characteristic of the magnetic Majorana excitations.