Tunable moire spinons in magnetically encapsulated twisted van der Waals quantum spin liquids

Abstract

Quantum spin-liquid van der Waals magnets such as , , and provide a natural platform to explore new exotic phenomena associated with spinon physics, whose properties can be controlled by exchange proximity with ferromagnetic insulators such as . Here we put forward a twisted van der Waals heterostructure based on a quantum spin-liquid bilayer encapsulated between ferromagnetic insulators. We demonstrate the emergence of spinon flat bands and topological spinon states in such heterostructure, where the emergence of a topological gap is driven by the twist. We further show that the spinon band structure can be controlled via exchange proximity effect to the ferromagnetic leads. We finally show how by combining small magnetic fields with tunneling spectroscopy, magnetically encapsulated heterostructures provide a way of characterizing the nature of the quantum spin-liquid state. Our results put forward twisted quantum spin-liquid bilayers as potential platforms for exotic moire spinon phenomena, demonstrating the versatility of magnetic van der Waals heterostructures.