Three-dimensional Kasteleyn transition: spin ice in a [100] field.

We examine the statistical mechanics of spin-ice materials with a [100] magnetic field. We show that the approach to saturated magnetization is, in the low-temperature limit, an example of a 3D Kasteleyn transition, which is topological in the sense that magnetization is changed only by excitations...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jaubert, L, Chalker, J, Holdsworth, P, Moessner, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2008
Description
Summary:We examine the statistical mechanics of spin-ice materials with a [100] magnetic field. We show that the approach to saturated magnetization is, in the low-temperature limit, an example of a 3D Kasteleyn transition, which is topological in the sense that magnetization is changed only by excitations that span the entire system. We study the transition analytically and using a Monte Carlo cluster algorithm, and compare our results with recent data from experiments on Dy2Ti2O7.