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arXiv · 2504.08442

Investigation into the low temperature state of the spin-ice material Dy_2 Ti_2 O_7

Abstract

The thermal equilibrium properties of the spin-ice material DTO, including specific heat, magnetization, and spin correlations, could be successfully reproduced by a model featuring magnetic interactions up to the third nearest neighbor and long-ranged dipolar forces. With the best-fit parameters, the model predicts an ordered ground state which breaks the cubic symmetry of the lattice. In this work, we analyze results from a neutron scattering experiment in which, instead of sharp Bragg peaks, a diffuse pattern was observed down to 300mK, despite very slow cooling [A. M. Samarakoon et al., Physical Review Research 4,033159 (2022).]. Using a reverse Monte Carlo approach, we found compatible spin configurations, analyze the suitability of antiferromagnetic spin chains as building blocks for the ground-state and provide various measures of correlation and calculate their energy. Our analysis suggests that while infinitely long chains are not present in the experimental configuration, antiferromagnetic spin chains provide a good approximation of the data. There are indications of possible evidence for short-range chains, but further investigation is needed for confirmation.

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Mariano Marziali Bermudez, R. A. Borzi, D. A. Tennant, S. A. Grigera. 2025-04-11. Investigation into the low temperature state of the spin-ice material Dy_2 Ti_2 O_7. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.08442

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