Spinoren

Spinoren is a hypothetical quasiparticle proposed in theoretical studies of quantum spin systems. In these models, a spinoren is an emergent excitation associated with the spin degrees of freedom in frustrated magnets and quantum spin liquids. Spinoren carry angular momentum akin to spin, but are electrically neutral or weakly charged, distinguishing them from conventional electrons or magnons. They are treated as spinor-like excitations with wavefunctions that transform under SU(2) spin rotations.

The concept arises in analyses of topological spin liquids and related phases where spin and charge separation can occur. In such contexts, spinoren may appear as localized bound states or as itinerant excitations in low-energy effective theories. Depending on the phase, they can exhibit Abelian or non-Abelian exchange statistics and couple to emergent gauge fields. Their dynamics are commonly described by field theories that couple spinor fields to gauge fields and to static or dynamic magnetic textures.

Core properties typically include neutral charge, a defined spin quantum number (often 1/2), and sensitivity to external magnetic fields via Zeeman coupling. In idealized models, spinoren can show long coherence and interact weakly with lattice vibrations, making them candidates for information carriers in certain quantum spin systems.

Experimental status remains unsettled; there is no unambiguous observation of spinoren. Possible signatures have been proposed in spectroscopic probes of spin dynamics, neutron scattering, and low-temperature thermodynamics, but interpretations are model dependent and contested.

Related topics include spin liquid, spinon, anyon, and topological order.