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S. T. Bramwell

Publications and source records attributed to S. T. Bramwell.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2007

Pinch Points and Kasteleyn Transitions: How Spin Ice Changes its Entropy

Complex disordered states - from liquids and glasses to exotic quantum matter - are ubiquitous in nature. Their key properties include finite entropy, power-law correlations and emergent organising principles. In spin ice, spin correlations are determined by an ice rules organising principle that stabilises a magnetic state with the same zero point entropy as water ice. The entropy can be manipulated with great precision by a magnetic field: with field parallel to the trigonal axis one obtains quasi two dimensional kagome ice which can be mapped onto a dimer model. Here we use a field tilted slightly away from the trigonal axis to control the dimer statistical weights and realise the unusual critical behaviour predicted by Kasteleyn. Neutron scattering on Ho2Ti2O7 reveals pinch point scattering that characterises the emergent gauge structure of kagome ice; diffuse peaks that shift with field, signaling the Kasteleyn physics; and an unusual critical point.

cond-mat.other↗
arXiv2006

Magnetocaloric Study of Spin Relaxation in `Frozen' Dipolar Spin Ice Dy2Ti2O7

The magnetocaloric effect of polycrystalline samples of pure and Y-doped dipolar spin ice Dy2Ti2O7 was investigated at temperatures from nominally 0.3 K to 6 K and in magnetic fields of up to 2 T. As well as being of intrinsic interest, it is proposed that the magnetocaloric effect may be used as an appropriate tool for the qualitative study of slow relaxation processes in the spin ice regime. In the high temperature regime the temperature change on adiabatic demagnetization was found to be consistent with previously published entropy versus temperature curves. At low temperatures (T < 0.4 K) cooling by adiabatic demagnetization was followed by an irreversible rise in temperature that persisted after the removal of the applied field. The relaxation time derived from this temperature rise was found to increase rapidly down to 0.3 K. The data near to 0.3 K indicated a transition into a metastable state with much slower relaxation, supporting recent neutron scattering results. In addition, magnetic dilution of 50 % concentration was found to significantly prolong the dynamical response in the milikelvin temperature range, in contrast with results reported for higher temperatures at which the spin correlations are suppressed. These observations are discussed in terms of defects and loop correlations in the spin ice state.

cond-mat.soft↗
arXiv2005

Temperature dependent fluctuations in the two-dimensional XY model

We present a detailed investigation of the probability density function (PDF) of order parameter fluctuations in the finite two-dimensional XY (2dXY) model. In the low temperature critical phase of this model, the PDF approaches a universal non-Gaussian limit distribution in the limit T-->0. Our analysis resolves the question of temperature dependence of the PDF in this regime, for which conflicting results have been reported. We show analytically that a weak temperature dependence results from the inclusion of multiple loop graphs in a previously-derived graphical expansion. This is confirmed by numerical simulations on two controlled approximations to the 2dXY model: the Harmonic and ``Harmonic XY'' models. The Harmonic model has no Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii (KTB) transition and the PDF becomes progressively less skewed with increasing temperature until it closely approximates a Gaussian function above T ~ 4π. Near to that temperature we find some evidence of a phase transition, although our observations appear to exclude a thermodynamic singularity.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2005

Neutron scattering studies of the spin ices Ho2Ti2O7 and Dy2Ti2O7 in applied magnetic field

Neutron diffraction has been used to investigate the magnetic correlations in single crystals of the spin ice materials Ho2Ti2O7 and Dy2Ti2O7 in an external magnetic field applied along either the [001] or [1-10] crystallographic directions. With the field applied along [001] a long range ordered groundstate is selected from the spin ice manifold. With the field applied along [1-10] the experiments show that the spin system is separated into parallel (alpha) and perpendicular (beta) chains with respect to the field. This leads to partial ordering and the appearance of quasi-one-dimensional magnetic structures. In both field orientations this frustrated spin system is defined by the appearance of metastable states, magnetization plateaux and unusually slow, field regulated dynamics.

cond-mat.other↗
arXiv2004

Neutron Scattering Investigation of the Spin Ice State in Dy2Ti2O7

Dy2Ti2O7 has been advanced as an ideal spin ice. We present a neutron scattering investigation of a sample of 162Dy2Ti2O7. The scattering intensity has been mapped in zero applied field in the hhl and hk0 planes at temperatures between 0.05 K and 20 K. The measured diffuse scattering (in the static approximation) has been compared to that predicted by the dipolar spin ice model. The comparison is good, except at the Brillouin zone boundaries where extra scattering appears in the experimental data. It is concluded that the dipolar spin ice model provides a successful basis for understanding Dy2Ti2O7, but that there are issues which remain to be clarified.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2003

Er2Ti2O7: Evidence of Order by Disorder in a Frustrated Antiferromagnet

Er_2Ti_2O_7 has been suggested to be a realization of the frustrated < 111 > XY pyrochlore lattice antiferromagnet, for which theory predicts fluctuation-induced symmetry breaking in a highly degenerate ground state manifold. We present a theoretical analysis of the classical model compared to neutron scattering experiments on the real material, both below and above T_N = 1.173(2) K. The model correctly predicts the ordered magnetic structure, suggesting that the real system has order stabilised by zero-point quantum fluctuations that can be modelled by classical spin wave theory. However, the model fails to describe the excitations of the system, which show unusual features.

cond-mat↗
arXiv2001

Temperature Dependence of the Magnetic Penetration Depth in the Vortex State of the Pyrochlore Superconductor, Cd2Re2O7

We report transverse field and zero field muon spin rotation studies of the superconducting rhenium oxide pyrochlore, Cd2Re2O7. Transverse field measurements (H=0.007 T) show line broadening below Tc, which is characteristic of a vortex state, demonstrating conclusively the type-II nature of this superconductor. The penetration depth is seen to level off below about 400 mK (T/Tc~0.4), with a rather large value of lambda (T=0)~7500A. The temperature independent behavior below ~ 400 mK is consistent with a nodeless superconducting energy gap. Zero-field measurements indicate no static magnetic fields developing below the transition temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2001

Reply to Comment on "Universal Fluctuations in Correlated Systems", by B. Zheng and S. Trimper, cond-mat/0109003

We reply to the comment on our published paper `` Universal Fluctuations in Correlated Systems'',Phys. Rev. Lett. Vol; 84, p3744 (2000), by B. Zheng and S. Trimper, cond-mat/0109003. We argue that their results confirm our conjecture, that the probability distribution for order parameter fluctuations in the 2D and 3D Ising models at a temperature $T^{\ast}(L)$ slightly below $T_C$ for the infinite, system approximates the universal functional form of the 2D-XY model in its low temperature phase. We discuss the relevance of the temperature interval $T_C-T^{\ast}$, considered to be large by Zheng and Trimper and explain why the observed phenomena is a critical phenomena.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2001

Field Induced Partial Order in the Spin-Ice Dysprosium Titanate

Neutron scattering has been used to investigate the magnetic correlations in the the spin ice material dysprosium titanate, Dy2Ti2O7. An isotopically enriched sample was used to minimise neutron absorption. In zero field no magnetic order was observed down to 50 mK but the magnetic diffuse scattering was in qualitative agreement with that expected for the disordered low temperature state of dipolar spin ice. Application of a field of ~ 0.8 T in the [100] direction led to long range order. With the field applied in the [1-10] direction a coexistence of long range ferromagnetic and short range antiferromagnetic order was observed. This is attributed to the pinning of only half the spins by the field. The hysteresis loops in both field orientations displayed unusual steps and plateaus.

cond-mat↗
arXiv2001

Magnetic Susceptibility Study of the Heavy Rare Earth Stannate Pyrochlores

The series of magnetic rare earth pyrochlore stannates R2Sn2O7 (R = rare earth, except Ce and Pm) have been investigated by powder susceptibility measurements down to T =1.8 K. The results are compared to results for the analogous titanate series, which are well-known frustrated magnets. Unlike the titanates, the whole series can be formed in the cubic pyrochlore structure. Possible experimental advantages of studying the stannates are discussed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2001

Universal Magnetic Fluctuations with a Field Induced Length Scale

We calculate the probability density function for the order parameter fluctuations in the low temperature phase of the 2D-XY model of magnetism near the line of critical points. A finite correlation length, ξ, is introduced with a small magnetic field, h, and an accurate expression for ξ(h) is developed by treating non-linear contributions to the field energy using a Hartree approximation. We find analytically a series of universal non-Gaussian distributions with a finite size scaling form and present a Gumbel-like function that gives the PDF to an excellent approximation. We propose the Gumbel exponent, a(h), as an indirect measure of the length scale of correlations in a wide range of complex systems.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2001

Order in the Heisenberg Pyrochlore: The Magnetic Structure of Gd2Ti2O7

The rare earth pyrochlore material Gd2Ti2O7 is considered to be an ideal model frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnet with additional dipolar interactions. For this system there are several untested theoretical predictions of the ground state ordering pattern. Here we establish the magnetic structure of isotopically enriched (160)Gd2Ti2O7, using powder neutron diffraction at a temperature of 50 mK. The magnetic structure at this temperature is a partially ordered, non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure, with propagation vector k= 1/2 1/2 1/2. It can be described as a set of "q=0" ordered kagome planes separated by zero interstitial moments. This magnetic structure agrees with theory only in part, leaving an interesting problem for future research.

cond-mat↗
arXiv2001

Spin Correlations in Ho$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_{7}$: a Dipolar Spin Ice System

The pyrochlore material $\rm Ho_{2}Ti_{2}O_{7}$ has been suggested to show ``spin ice'' behaviour. We present neutron scattering and specific heat results that establish unambiguously that Ho$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ exhibits spin ice correlations at low temperature. Diffuse magnetic neutron scattering from Ho$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ is found to be quite well described by a near neighbour spin ice model and very accurately described by a dipolar spin ice model. The heat capacity is well accounted for by the sum of a dipolar spin ice contribution and an expected nuclear spin contribution, known to exist in other Ho$^{3+}$ salts. These results settle the question of the nature of the low temperature spin correlations in $\rm Ho_{2}Ti_{2}O_{7}$ for which contradictory claims have been made.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2001

Competition Between Exchange and Anisotropy in a Pyrochlore Ferromagnet

The Ising-like spin ice model, with a macroscopically degenerate ground state, has been shown to be approximated by several real materials. Here we investigate a model related to spin ice, in which the Ising spins are replaced by classical Heisenberg spins. These populate a cubic pyrochlore lattice and are coupled to nearest neighbours by a ferromagnetic exchange term J and to the local <1,1,1> axes by a single-ion anisotropy term D. The near neighbour spin ice model corresponds to the case D/J infinite. For finite D/J we find that the macroscopic degeneracy of spin ice is broken and the ground state is magnetically ordered into a four-sublattice structure. The transition to this state is first-order for D/J > 5 and second-order for D/J < 5 with the two regions separated by a tricritical point. We investigate the magnetic phase diagram with an applied field along [1,0,0] and show that it can be considered analogous to that of a ferroelectric.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2000

Magnetic fluctuations in the classical XY model: the origin of an exponential tail in a complex system

We study the probability density function for the fluctuations of the magnetic order parameter in the low temperature phase of the XY model of finite size. In two-dimensions this system is critical over the whole of the low temperature phase. It is shown analytically and without recourse to the scaling hypothesis that, in this case, the distribution is non-Gaussian and of universal form, independent of both system size and critical exponent $η$. An exact expression for the generating function of the distribution is obtained, which is transformed and compared with numerical data from high resolution molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. The calculation is extended to general dimension and an exponential tail is found in all dimensions less than four, despite the fact that critical fluctuations are limited to D=2. These results are discussed in the light of similar behaviour observed in models of interface growth and for dissipative systems driven into a non-equilibrium steady state.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv1999

Universal Fluctuations in Correlated Systems

The probability density function (PDF) of a global measure in a large class of highly correlated systems has been suggested to be of the same functional form. Here, we identify the analytical form of the PDF of one such measure, the order parameter in the low temperature phase of the 2D-XY model. We demonstrate that this function describes the fluctuations of global quantities in other correlated, equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems. These include a coupled rotor model, Ising and percolation models, models of forest fires, sand-piles, avalanches and granular media in a self organized critical state. We discuss the relationship with both Gaussian and extremal statistics.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗