Band representations in Strongly Correlated Settings: The Kitaev Honeycomb Model

Abstract

In the study of quantum spin liquids, the Kitaev model plays a pivotal role due to the fact that its ground state is exactly known as well as the fact that it may be realized in strongly frustrated materials such as ${\alpha}$-RuCl${}_3$. While topological insulators and superconductors can be investigated by means of topological band theory -- in particular the topological quantum chemistry (TQC) formalism -- the Kitaev model evades such a treatment, as it is not possible to set up a proper single-particle Green's function for it. We instead associate spin operators with ``orbitals'' that give rise to a band structure. It is thereby possible to analyze the corresponding excitation spectrum engendered by these localized excitations by means of TQC. Special attention is given to the low-energy topological edge mode spectrum. Our work sheds light on the question how the TQC formalism may be generalized to strongly correlated and topologically ordered systems like the Kitaev model.