Evidence for dynamic kagome ice

Elsa Lhotel (1) , S. Petit (2) , M. Ciomaga Hatnean (3) , J. Ollivier (4) , H. Mutka (4) , E. Ressouche (5) , M. R. Lees (3) , G. Balakrishnan (3)

1 NEEL - MagSup - Magnétisme et Supraconductivité
2 G3A - Groupe 3 axes
3 University of Warwick [Coventry]
4 ILL - Institut Laue-Langevin
5 MDN - Magnétisme et Diffusion Neutronique

The search for two-dimensional quantum spin liquids, exotic magnetic states remaining disordered down to zero temperature, has been a great challenge in frustrated magnetism over the last few decades. Recently, evidence for fractionalized excitations, called spinons, emerging from these states has been observed in kagome and triangular antiferromagnets. In contrast, quantum ferromagnetic spin liquids in two dimensions, namely quantum kagome ices, have been less investigated, yet their classical counterparts exhibit amazing properties, magnetic monopole crystals as well as magnetic fragmentation. Here, we show that applying a magnetic field to the pyrochlore oxide Nd2Zr2O7, which has been shown to develop three-dimensional quantum magnetic fragmentation in zero field, results in a dimensional reduction, creating a dynamic kagome ice state: the spin excitation spectrum determined by neutron scattering encompasses a flat mode with a six arm shape akin to the kagome ice structure factor, from which dispersive branches emerge.

Domaines: Electrons fortement corrélés [cond-mat.str-el]

Elsa Lhotel, S. Petit, M. Ciomaga Hatnean, J. Ollivier, H. Mutka, et al.. Evidence for dynamic kagome ice. Nature Communications, 2018, 9, pp.3786. ⟨10.1038/s41467-018-06212-2⟩. ⟨hal-01926506⟩