Evidence for dynamic kagome ice

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 3786 - 6
• Main Authors: Lhotel, E., Petit, S., Ciomaga Hatnean, M., Ollivier, J., Mutka, H., Ressouche, E., Lees, M. R., Balakrishnan, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 17-09-2018; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/766/119/997; 639/766/119/999; Antiferromagnetism; Condensed Matter; Crystals; Excitation spectra; Ferromagnetism; Fragmentation; Frustrated magnetism; Humanities and Social Sciences; Ice; Liquids; Magnetic fields; Magnetic monopoles; Magnetic properties; Magnetism; multidisciplinary; Neutron scattering; Neutrons; Physics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Spin dynamics; Strongly Correlated Electrons; Structure factor
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06212-2

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 Nd
2
Zr
2
O
7
, 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.
Quantum ferromagnetic spin liquids in two dimensions, namely quantum kagome ices, yield exotic magnetic properties but their identification remains challenging. Here the authors investigate a dynamic kagome ice state in the pyrochlore oxide Nd
2
Zr
2
O
7
by magnetization and neutron scattering measurements.