Possible Quantum Diffusion of Polaronic Muons in Dy$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ Spin Ice

P. Quémerais; P. McClarty; R. Moessner

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.127601

Possible Quantum Diffusion of Polaronic Muons in Dy$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ Spin Ice

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2015-06-04 v1 Statistical Mechanics

Authors: P. Quémerais , P. McClarty , R. Moessner

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Abstract

We interpret recent measurements of the zero field muon relaxation rate in the frustrated magnetic pyrochlore Dy $_2$ Ti $_2$ O $_7$ as resulting from the quantum diffusion of muons in the substance. In this scenario, the plateau observed at low temperature ( $<7$ K) in the relaxation rate is due to coherent tunneling of the muons through a spatially disordered spin state and not to any magnetic fluctuations persisting at low temperature. Two further regimes either side of a maximum relaxation rate at $T^* = 50$ K correspond to a crossover between tunnelling and incoherent activated hopping motion of the muon. Our fit of the experimental data is compared with the case of muonium diffusion in KCl.

Keywords

quantum diffusion polaronic muon spin ice Dy2Ti2O7 muon relaxation rate coherent tunneling activated hopping

Cite

@article{arxiv.1203.3039,
  title  = {Possible Quantum Diffusion of Polaronic Muons in Dy$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ Spin Ice},
  author = {P. Quémerais and P. McClarty and R. Moessner},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1203.3039},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

15 pages, 2 figures

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