Quantum Spin Liquid with Even Ising Gauge Field Structure on Kagome Lattice

Employing large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we study the extended $XXZ$ model on the kagome lattice. A $\mathbb Z_2$ quantum spin liquid phase with effective even Ising gauge field structure emerges from the delicate balance among three symmetry-breaking phases including stripe solid, staggered solid and ferromagnet. This $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquid is stabilized by an extended interaction related to the Rokhsar-Kivelson potential in the quantum dimer model limit. The phase transitions from the staggered solid to a spin liquid or ferromagnet are found to be first order and so is the transition between the stripe solid and ferromagnet. However, the transition between a spin liquid and ferromagnet is found to be continuous and belongs to the 3D $XY^*$ universality class associated with the condensation of spinons. The transition between a spin liquid and stripe solid appears to be continuous and associated with the condensation of visons.
Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures