XMCD on alfa-RuI3 with a honeycomb lattice

The Kitaev quantum spin liquid (QSL) materials are promising candidates for an experimental realization of fractionalized gapless Majorana excitations described in the exactly solvable Kitaev model. Our aim is to perform XAS and XMCD measurements at Ru-L2,3 edges on α-RuI3, which is a new platform to study the Kitaev and non-Kitaev interactions. Using the sum rule analysis, we will experimentally determine the spin moment 2<Sz> and orbital moment <Lz>. This will allow us to establish whether α-RuI3 electronically very similar to α-RuCl3 and RuBr3 with Jeff = 1/2 ground state. Our studies are expected to provide the physical parameters to further theoretical investigations.