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Magnetic monopoles in spin ice

Author

Listed:
  • C. Castelnovo

    (Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford University)

  • R. Moessner

    (Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford University
    Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme)

  • S. L. Sondhi

    (Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA)

Abstract

Poles apart We are familiar with elementary particles that carry either negative or positive electric charge, such as electrons and protons, but there is no evidence of elementary particles with a net magnetic charge. Magnets tend to come with inseparable north and south poles, and there are no known magnetic monopoles despite concerted efforts to find them. But an intriguing theoretical study now proposes that magnetic monopoles may exist, not as elementary particles, but as emergent particles in exotic condensed matter magnetic systems such as 'spin ice'. The theory, based on an analogy to fractional electric charges seen, for example, in quantum Hall systems in two dimensions, can explain a mysterious phase transition that has been observed experimentally in spin ice. The cover, by Alessandro Canossa, depicts a magnetic monopole (red sphere) emerging from break-up of the dipole moment (arrows) of the underlying electronic degrees of freedom in spin ice.

Suggested Citation

  • C. Castelnovo & R. Moessner & S. L. Sondhi, 2008. "Magnetic monopoles in spin ice," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7174), pages 42-45, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:451:y:2008:i:7174:d:10.1038_nature06433
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06433
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. J. Guo & P. Ghosh & D. Hill & Y. Chen & L. Stingaciu & P. Zolnierczuk & C. A. Ullrich & D. K. Singh, 2023. "Persistent dynamic magnetic state in artificial honeycomb spin ice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-6, December.
    2. Han Zhang & Chengkun Xing & Kyle Noordhoek & Zhaoyu Liu & Tianhao Zhao & Lukas Horák & Qing Huang & Lin Hao & Junyi Yang & Shashi Pandey & Elbio Dagotto & Zhigang Jiang & Jiun-Haw Chu & Yan Xin & Eun , 2023. "Anomalous magnetoresistance by breaking ice rule in Bi2Ir2O7/Dy2Ti2O7 heterostructure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    3. Robert Puttock & Ingrid M. Andersen & Christophe Gatel & Bumsu Park & Mark C. Rosamond & Etienne Snoeck & Olga Kazakova, 2022. "Defect-induced monopole injection and manipulation in artificial spin ice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. M. J. Pearce & K. Götze & A. Szabó & T. S. Sikkenk & M. R. Lees & A. T. Boothroyd & D. Prabhakaran & C. Castelnovo & P. A. Goddard, 2022. "Magnetic monopole density and antiferromagnetic domain control in spin-ice iridates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    5. Xiaoyu Zhang & Ayhan Duzgun & Yuyang Lao & Shayaan Subzwari & Nicholas S. Bingham & Joseph Sklenar & Hilal Saglam & Justin Ramberger & Joseph T. Batley & Justin D. Watts & Daniel Bromley & Rajesh V. C, 2021. "String Phase in an Artificial Spin Ice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-7, December.
    6. Michael Saccone & Francesco Caravelli & Kevin Hofhuis & Scott Dhuey & Andreas Scholl & Cristiano Nisoli & Alan Farhan, 2023. "Real-space observation of ergodicity transitions in artificial spin ice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Cisternas, Jaime & Concha, Andrés, 2024. "Searching nontrivial magnetic equilibria using the deflated Newton method," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    8. Alejandro Lopez-Bezanilla & Jack Raymond & Kelly Boothby & Juan Carrasquilla & Cristiano Nisoli & Andrew D. King, 2023. "Kagome qubit ice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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