Projective symmetry group analysis of inelastic light scattering in Kitaev spin balls

Abstract

Projective symmetry groups are applied to Raman observations of the Kitaev quantum spin liquids in spherical lattice geometries realized by Platonic and Archimedean polyhedra. Parton single excitations in Kitaev spin polyhedra are characterized by double-valued irreducible representations of their belonging projective symmetry groups, whereas parton geminate excitations relevant to Raman scattering are decomposed into single-valued irreducible representations of the corresponding point symmetry groups. We combine a standard point-symmetry-group analysis of the Loudon-Fleury vertices and an elaborate projective-symmetry-group analysis of itinerant spinons against the ground gauge fields to reveal $hidden$ $selection$ $rules$ for Raman scattering in $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquids.