Mean-field theory for confinement transitions and magnetization plateaux in spin ice

Powell, Stephen

Abstract

We study phase transitions in classical spin ice at nonzero magnetization, by introducing a mean-field theory designed to capture the interplay between confinement and topological constraints. The method is applied to a model of spin ice in an applied magnetic field along the [1 0 0] crystallographic direction and yields a phase diagram containing the Coulomb phase as well as a set of magnetization plateaux. We argue that the lobe structure of the phase diagram, strongly reminiscent of the Bose–Hubbard model, is generic to Coulomb spin liquids.

Citation

Powell, S. (2017). Mean-field theory for confinement transitions and magnetization plateaux in spin ice. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 50(12), https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/aa5bc6

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 24, 2017
• Publication Date: Feb 20, 2017
• Deposit Date: Feb 21, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 21, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
• Print ISSN: 1751-8113
• Electronic ISSN: 1751-8121
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 12
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/aa5bc6
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/845253
• Publisher URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1751-8121/aa5bc6/meta