Signatures of fractionalization in the optical phonons of the hyperhoneycomb Kitaev magnet β-Li2IrO3

In this study, we propose that the signatures of spin fractionalization in quantum magnets can be identified through a detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the asymmetric Fano lineshape of optical phonons overlapping with a continuum of spin excitations. We focus on the hyperhoneycomb magnet β-Li2IrO3, a promising candidate for being in proximity to a three-dimensional Kitaev quantum spin liquid. The Raman response in β-Li2IrO3 notably displays a distinctive asymmetric Fano lineshape in the 24 meV Raman-active optical phonon. This asymmetry arises from the interaction between the discrete phonon mode and the spin excitation continuum, which could be fractionalized if the material is indeed near a quantum spin-liquid phase. Our theoretical model considers the coupling of this optical phonon to Majorana fermions in the Kitaev model on the hyperhoneycomb lattice. Our findings reveal that the temperature-dependent Fano lineshape is consistent with the fractionalization of spins into Majorana fermions and Z2 fluxes. © 2024 American Physical Society.