Mott insulators of ultracold fermionic alkaline Earth atoms: underconstrained magnetism and chiral spin liquid.
We study Mott insulators of fermionic alkaline earth atoms, described by Heisenberg spin models with enhanced SU(N) symmetry. In dramatic contrast to SU(2) magnetism, more than two spins are required to form a singlet. On the square lattice, the classical ground state is highly degenerate and magnetic order is thus unlikely. In a large-N limit, we find a chiral spin liquid ground state with topological order and Abelian fractional statistics. We discuss its experimental detection. Chiral spin liquids with non-Abelian anyons may also be realizable with alkaline earth atoms.
Hermele
Michael
M
Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Gurarie
Victor
V
Rey
Ana Maria
AM