Quantum criticality and emergent order in the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic Kitaev chain

Higher-spin materials can host exotic quantum phases with no counterparts in familiar spin-\textonehalf{} systems. Using density matrix renormalization group calculations, the authors chart here the phase diagram of a spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic-Kitaev chain and reveal two Kitaev-driven phases. A Kitaev nematic phase emerges from a delicate biquadratic-dimer background through an Ising quantum critical point, which further evolves into a Kitaev dimer phase that spontaneously breaks screw symmetry and crystallizes into a gapped order of alternating \ensuremath{\mathbb{Z}}${}₂$ bond parities.