Quantum Spin Liquids

Spin liquids are quantum phases of matter that exhibit a variety of novel features associated with their topological character. These include various forms of fractionalization - elementary excitations that behave as fractions of an electron. While there is not yet entirely convincing experimental evidence that any particular material has a spin liquid ground state, in the past few years, increasing evidence has accumulated for a number of materials suggesting that they have characteristics strongly reminiscent of those expected for a quantum spin liquid.