Subdimensional particle structure of higher rank <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>U</mml:mi><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:math> spin liquids

Abstract

Quantum spin liquids can be well described in the language of gauge theory. While most theoretical effort has been focused on gauge theories with a familiar vector gauge field, there exists a stable class of quantum spin liquids described by higher-rank tensor gauge fields. Here, the authors focus on a class of stable three-dimensional spin liquids described by symmetric tensor $U$(1) gauge fields. They find that these spin liquids feature an exotic class of excitations that are restricted to motion along lower-dimensional subspaces, a phenomenon seen earlier in fracton models. They show how this subdimensional behavior follows naturally from a set of higher-moment charge conservation laws that place severe restrictions on particle motion. This work opens up an exciting new direction in the field of spin liquids.