Spin Dynamics and Unconventional Coulomb Phase in Nd_{2}Zr_{2}O_{7}.

We investigate the temperature dependence of the spin dynamics in the pyrochlore magnet Nd_{2}Zr_{2}O_{7} by neutron scattering experiments. At low temperature, this material undergoes a transition towards an "all-in-all-out" antiferromagnetic phase and the spin dynamics encompass a dispersionless mode, characterized by a dynamical spin ice structure factor. Unexpectedly, this mode is found to survive above T_{N}≈300 mK. Concomitantly, elastic correlations of the spin ice type develop. These are the signatures of a peculiar correlated paramagnetic phase which can be considered as a new example of Coulomb phase. Our observations near T_{N} do not reproduce the signatures expected for a Higgs transition, but show reminiscent features of the "all-in-all-out" order superimposed on a Coulomb phase.

Ultralow-temperature device dedicated to soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments.

A new ultralow-temperature setup dedicated to soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments is described. Two experiments, performed on the DEIMOS beamline (SOLEIL synchrotron), demonstrate the outstanding performance of this new platform in terms of the lowest achievable temperature under X-ray irradiation (T = 220 mK), the precision in controlling the temperature during measurements as well as the speed of the cooling-down and warming-up procedures. Moreover, owing to the new design of the setup, the eddy-current power is strongly reduced, allowing fast scanning of the magnetic field in XMCD experiments; these performances lead to a powerful device for X-ray spectroscopies on synchrotron-radiation beamlines facilities.

Pauling Entropy, Metastability, and Equilibrium in Dy_{2}Ti_{2}O_{7} Spin Ice.

Determining the fate of the Pauling entropy in the classical spin ice material Dy_{2}Ti_{2}O_{7} with respect to the third law of thermodynamics has become an important test case for understanding the existence and stability of ice-rule states in general. The standard model of spin ice-the dipolar spin ice model-predicts an ordering transition at T≈0.15 K, but recent experiments by Pomaranski et al. suggest an entropy recovery over long timescales at temperatures as high as 0.5 K, much too high to be compatible with the theory. Using neutron scattering and specific heat measurements at low temperatures and with long timescales (0.35 K/10^{6} s and 0.5 K/10^{5} s, respectively) on several isotopically enriched samples, we find no evidence of a reduction of ice-rule correlations or spin entropy. High-resolution simulations of the neutron structure factor show that the spin correlations remain well described by the dipolar spin ice model at all temperatures. Furthermore, by careful consideration of hyperfine contributions, we conclude that the original entropy measurements of Ramirez et al. are, after all, essentially correct: The short-time relaxation method used in that study gives a reasonably accurate estimate of the equilibrium spin ice entropy due to a cancellation of contributions.

Long-Range Order in the Dipolar XY Antiferromagnet Er_{2}Sn_{2}O_{7}.

Er_{2}Sn_{2}O_{7} remains a puzzling case among the extensively studied frustrated compounds of the rare-earth pyrochlore family. Indeed, while a first-order transition towards a long-range antiferromagnetic state with the so-called Palmer-Chalker structure is theoretically predicted, it has not yet been observed, leaving the issue as to whether it is a spin-liquid candidate open. We report on neutron scattering and magnetization measurements which evidence a second-order transition towards this Palmer-Chalker ordered state around 108 mK. Extreme care was taken to ensure a proper thermalization of the sample, which has proved to be crucial to successfully observe the magnetic Bragg peaks. At the transition, a gap opens in the excitations, superimposed on a strong quasielastic signal. The exchange parameters, refined from a spin-wave analysis in applied magnetic field, confirm that Er_{2}Sn_{2}O_{7} is a realization of the dipolar XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet. The proximity of competing phases and the strong XY anisotropy of the Er^{3+} magnetic moment might be at the origin of enhanced fluctuations, leading to the unexpected nature of the transition, the low ordering temperature, and the observed multiscale dynamics.

Fluctuations and All-In-All-Out Ordering in Dipole-Octupole Nd(2)Zr(2)O(7).

By means of neutron scattering and magnetization measurements down to 90 mK, we determine the magnetic ground state of the spin-ice candidate Nd(2)Zr(2)O(7). We show that, despite ferromagnetic interactions, Nd(2)Zr(2)O(7) undergoes a transition around 285 mK towards an all-in-all-out antiferromagnetic state, with a strongly reduced ordered magnetic moment. We establish the (H,T) phase diagram in the three directions of the applied field and reveal a metamagnetic transition around 0.1 T, associated with an unexpected shape of the magnetization curves. We propose that this behavior results from the peculiar nature of the Nd^{3+} doublet, a dipolar-octupolar doublet, different from the standard Kramers doublet studied to date, thus revealing the importance of multipolar correlations in the properties of pyrochlore oxides.

Anisotropy-Tuned Magnetic Order in Pyrochlore Iridates.

The magnetic behavior of polycrystalline samples of Er(2)Ir(2)O(7) and Tb(2)Ir(2)O(7) pyrochlores is studied by magnetization measurements and neutron diffraction. Both compounds undergo a magnetic transition at 140 and 130 K, respectively, associated with an ordering of the Ir sublattice, signaled by thermomagnetic hysteresis. In Tb(2)Ir(2)O(7), we show that the Ir molecular field leads the Tb magnetic moments to order below 40 K in the all-in-all-out magnetic arrangement. No sign of magnetic long-range order on the Er sublattice is evidenced in Er(2)Ir(2)O(7) down to 0.6 K where a spin freezing is detected. These contrasting behaviors result from the competition between the Ir molecular field and the different single-ion anisotropy of the rare-earth elements on which it is acting. Additionally, this strongly supports the all-in-all-out iridium magnetic order.

Domain-wall spin dynamics in kagome antiferromagnets.

We report magnetization and neutron scattering measurements down to 60 mK on a new family of Fe based kagome antiferromagnets, in which a strong local spin anisotropy combined with a low exchange path network connectivity lead to domain walls intersecting the kagome planes through strings of free spins. These produce unfamiliar slow spin dynamics in the ordered phase, evolving from exchange-released spin flips towards a cooperative behavior on decreasing the temperature, probably due to the onset of long-range dipolar interaction. A domain structure of independent magnetic grains is obtained that could be generic to other frustrated magnets.

Nuclear spin assisted quantum tunnelling of magnetic monopoles in spin ice.

Extensive work on single molecule magnets has identified a fundamental mode of relaxation arising from the nuclear-spin assisted quantum tunnelling of nearly independent and quasi-classical magnetic dipoles. Here we show that nuclear-spin assisted quantum tunnelling can also control the dynamics of purely emergent excitations: magnetic monopoles in spin ice. Our low temperature experiments were conducted on canonical spin ice materials with a broad range of nuclear spin values. By measuring the magnetic relaxation, or monopole current, we demonstrate strong evidence that dynamical coupling with the hyperfine fields bring the electronic spins associated with magnetic monopoles to resonance, allowing the monopoles to hop and transport magnetic charge. Our result shows how the coupling of electronic spins with nuclear spins may be used to control the monopole current. It broadens the relevance of the assisted quantum tunnelling mechanism from single molecular spins to emergent excitations in a strongly correlated system.

Evidence for dynamic kagome ice.

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 Nd2Zr2O7, 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.

Fragmentation in spin ice from magnetic charge injection.

The complexity embedded in condensed matter fertilizes the discovery of new states of matter, enriched by ingredients like frustration. Illustrating examples in magnetic systems are Kitaev spin liquids, skyrmions phases, or spin ices. These unconventional ground states support exotic excitations, for example the magnetic charges in spin ices, also called monopoles. Here, we propose a mechanism to inject monopoles in a spin ice at equilibrium through a staggered magnetic field. We show theoretically, and demonstrate experimentally in the Ho2Ir2O7 pyrochlore iridate, that it results in the stabilization of a monopole crystal, which exhibits magnetic fragmentation. In this new state of matter, the magnetic moment fragments into an ordered part and a persistently fluctuating one. Compared to conventional spin ices, the different nature of the excitations in this fragmented state opens the way to tunable field-induced and dynamical behaviors.Exploring unconventional magnetism facilities both fundamental understanding of materials and their real applications. Here the authors demonstrate that a magnetic monopole crystal is stabilized by a staggered magnetic field in the pyrochlore iridate Ho2Ir2O7, leading to a fragmented magnetization.

Magnetization process in Er2Ti2O7 at very low temperature.

We present a model which accounts for the high-field magnetization at very low temperature in the frustrated pyrochlore compound Er2Ti2O7. In Er2Ti2O7, the Er(3+) ion has a planar crystal field anisotropy and the material undergoes a transition to antiferromagnetism at TN = 1.2 K. Our model is a mean-field self-consistent calculation involving the four rare earth sites of a tetrahedron, the building unit of the pyrochlore lattice. It includes the full crystal field Hamiltonian, the infinite range dipolar interaction and anisotropic nearest neighbour exchange described by a 4-component tensor. We discuss the equivalence of our treatment of the exchange tensor, taken to be diagonal in a frame linked to a rare earth-rare earth bond, with the pseudo-spin Hamiltonian recently developed for Kramers doublets in a pyrochlore lattice.

Divergence at low bias and down-mixing of the current noise in a diffusive superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor junction.

We present current noise measurements in a long diffusive superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor junction in the low voltage regime, in which transport can be partially described in terms of coherent multiple Andreev reflections. We show that, when decreasing voltage, the current noise exhibits a strong divergence together with a broad peak. We ascribe this peak to the mixing between the ac-Josephson current and the noise of the junction itself. We show that the junction noise corresponds to the thermal noise of a nonlinear resistor 4k B T/R with R=V/I(V) and no adjustable parameters.

Coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in URhGe.

The discovery of superconductivity at high pressure (albeit over a restricted range) in the ferromagnetic material UGe2 raised the possibility that bulk superconductivity might be found in other ferromagnets. The exact symmetry of the paired state and the dominant mechanism responsible for the pairing, however, remain unidentified. Meanwhile, the conjecture that superconductivity could occur more generally in ferromagnets has been fuelled by the recent observation of a low-temperature transition that suggests an onset of superconductivity in high-quality crystals of the itinerant-ferromagnet ZrZn2 (ref. 2), although the thermodynamic signature of this transition could not be detected. Here we show that the ferromagnet URhGe is superconducting at ambient pressure. In this case, we find the thermodynamic signature of the transition-its form is consistent with a superconducting pairing of a spin-triplet type, although further testing with cleaner samples is needed to confirm this. The combination of superconductivity and ferromagnetism may thus be more common and consequently more important than hitherto realized.

Ordering and excitations in the field-induced magnetic phase of Cs3Cr2Br9.

Field-induced magnetic order has been investigated in detail in the interacting spin 3/2 dimer system Cs3Cr2Br9. Elastic and inelastic neutron scattering measurements were performed up to H=6 T, well above the critical field H(c1) approximately 1.5 T. The ordering displays incommensurabilities and a large hysteresis before a commensurate structure is reached. This structure is fully determined. Surprisingly, the lowest excitation branch never closes. Above H(c1), the gap increases slowly with the field. An analysis in terms of projected pseudospins is given.