Spin ice: Magnetic excitations without monopole signatures using muon spin rotation

S. R. Dunsiger, A. A. Aczel, C. Arguello, H. Dabkowska, A. Dabkowski, M. H. Du, T. Goko, B. Javanparast, T. Lin, F. L. Ning, H. M.L. Noad, D. J. Singh, T. J. Williams, Y. J. Uemura, M. J.P. Gingras, G. M. Luke

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

Theory predicts the low temperature magnetic excitations in spin ices consist of deconfined magnetic charges, or monopoles. A recent transverse-field (TF) muon spin rotation (μSR) experiment [S.T. Bramwell et al., Nature (London)NATUAS0028-0836 461, 956 (2009)10.1038/nature08500] reports results claiming to be consistent with the temperature and magnetic field dependence anticipated for monopole nucleation-the so-called second Wien effect. We demonstrate via a new series of μSR experiments in Dy2Ti 2O7 that such an effect is not observable in a TF μSR experiment. Rather, as found in many highly frustrated magnetic materials, we observe spin fluctuations which become temperature independent at low temperatures, behavior which dominates over any possible signature of thermally nucleated monopole excitations.

Original languageEnglish
Article number207207
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume107
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 11 2011
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Science Foundation1105961, 0806846

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