  In spin-1/2 Mott insulators, non-magnetic quantum liquid phases are often
argued to arise when the system shows no magnetic ordering, but identifying
positive signatures of these phases or related spinon quasiparticles can be
elusive. Here we use Raman scattering to provide three signatures for spinons
in a possible spin-orbit quantum liquid material Ba${}_4$Ir${}_3$O${}_{10}$:
(1) A broad hump, which we show can arise from Luttinger Liquid spinons in
Raman with parallel photon polarizations normal to 1D chains; (2) Strong phonon
damping from phonon-spin coupling via the spin-orbit interaction; and (3) the
absence of (1) and (2) in the magnetically ordered phase that is produced when
2% of Ba is substituted by Sr
((Ba${}_{0.98}$Sr${}_{0.02}$)${}_4$Ir${}_3$O${}_{10}$). The phonon damping via
itinerant spinons seen in this quantum-liquid insulator suggests a new
mechanism for enhancing thermoelectricity in strongly correlated conductors,
through a neutral quantum liquid that need not affect electronic transport.
