Dirac spin liquid in quantum dipole arrays

Abstract: We predict that the gapless $U(1)$ Dirac spin liquid naturally emerges in a two-dimensional array of quantum dipoles. In particular, we demonstrate that the dipolar XY model$\unicode{x2014}$realized in both Rydberg atom arrays and ultracold polar molecules$\unicode{x2014}$hosts a quantum spin liquid ground state on the kagome lattice. Large-scale density matrix renormalization group calculations indicate that this spin liquid exhibits signatures of gapless, linearly-dispersing spinons, consistent with the $U(1)$ Dirac spin liquid. We identify a route to adiabatic preparation via staggered on-site fields and demonstrate that this approach can prepare cold spin liquids within experimentally realistic time-scales. Finally, we propose a number of novel signatures of the Dirac spin liquid tailored to near-term quantum simulators, including termination-dependent edge modes and the Friedel response to a local perturbation.