Disorder and Quantum spin ice

N. Martin; P. Bonville; E. Lhotel; S. Guitteny; A. Wildes; C. Decorse; M. Ciomaga Hatnean; G. Balakrishnan; I. Mirebeau; S. Petit

Disorder and Quantum spin ice

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2017-08-08 v1

Authors: N. Martin , P. Bonville , E. Lhotel , S. Guitteny , A. Wildes , C. Decorse , M. Ciomaga Hatnean , G. Balakrishnan , I. Mirebeau , S. Petit

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Abstract

We report on diffuse neutron scattering experiments providing evidence for the presence of random strains in the quantum spin ice candidate Pr2Zr2O7. Since Pr is a non-Kramers ion, the strain deeply modifies the picture of Ising magnetic moments governing the low temperature properties of this material. It is shown that the derived strain distribution accounts for the temperature dependence of the specific heat and of the spin excitation spectra. Taking advantage of mean field and spin dynamics simulations, we argue that the randomness in Pr2Zr2O7, promotes a new state of matter, which is disordered, yet characterized by short range antiferroquadrupolar correlations, and from which emerge spin-ice like excitations. This study thus opens an original research route in the field of quantum spin ice.

Keywords

spin excitations in condensed matter magnetic materials and spin systems frustrated magnetism

Cite

@article{arxiv.1708.01845,
  title  = {Disorder and Quantum spin ice},
  author = {N. Martin and P. Bonville and E. Lhotel and S. Guitteny and A. Wildes and C. Decorse and M. Ciomaga Hatnean and G. Balakrishnan and I. Mirebeau and S. Petit},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1708.01845},
  year   = {2017}
}

Disorder and Quantum spin ice

Abstract

Keywords

Cite

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