Nearest-neighbour resonating valence bonds in YbMgGaO₄

Since its proposal by Anderson, resonating valence bonds (RVB) formed by a superposition of fluctuating singlet pairs have been a paradigmatic concept in understanding quantum spin liquids. Here, we show that excitations related to singlet breaking on nearest-neighbour bonds describe the high-energy part of the excitation spectrum in YbMgGaO₄, the effective spin-1/2 frustrated antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice, as originally considered by Anderson. By a thorough single-crystal inelastic neutron scattering study, we demonstrate that nearest-neighbour RVB excitations account for the bulk of the spectral weight above 0.5 meV. This renders YbMgGaO₄ the first experimental system where putative RVB correlations restricted to nearest neighbours are observed, and poses a fundamental question of how complex interactions on the triangular lattice conspire to form this unique many-body state.