Ordered spin-ice state in the geometrically frustrated metallic-ferromagnet Sm2Mo2O7


الملخص بالإنكليزية

The recent discovery of Spin-ice is a spectacular example of non-coplanar spin arrangements that can arise in the pyrochlore A2B2O7 structure. We present magnetic and thermodynamic studies on the metallic-ferromagnet pyrochlore Sm2Mo2O7. Our studies, carried out on oriented crystals, suggest that the Sm spins have an ordered spin-ice ground state below about T* = 15 K. The temperature- and field-evolution of the ordered spin-ice state are governed by an antiferromagnetic coupling between the Sm and Mo spins. We propose that as a consequence of a robust feature of this coupling, the tetrahedra aligned with the external field adopt a 1-in, 3-out spin structure as opposed to 3-in, 1-out in dipolar spin ices, as the field exceeds a critical value.

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