Topological and Trivial Valence-Bond Orders in Higher-Spin Kitaev Models
Researchers used tensor network methods to study quantum phases in higher-spin Kitaev models (spins 1, 3/2, and 2). They found three distinct outcomes: non-topological plaquette order for spin-1, topological dimer order for spin-3/2, and trivial dimer order for spin-2. This reveals how valence bond orders change based on the spin of the system.