ICTS

Kitaev model is an exactly solvable 2-dimensional spin half model with a quantum spin liquid ground state. This model has generated great interest due to its exact solvability and the existence of fractional excitations. Although it has not been realized in a physical system, some materials with strong spin orbit coupling have been shown to have a Kitaev model type interaction along with the isotropic Heisenberg term in the Hamiltonian. In this talk, I will review these models and various interesting phases they exhibit.