Artificial spin ices (ASIs) are interacting arrays of lithographically-defined nanomagnets in which novel frustrated magnetic phases can be intentionally designed. A key emergent description of fundamental excitations in ASIs is that of magnetic monopoles -- mobile quasiparticles that carry an effective magnetic charge. Here we demonstrate that the archetypal square ASI lattice can host, in specific regions of its magnetic phase diagram, high-density plasma-like regimes of mobile magnetic monopoles. By passively "listening" to spontaneous monopole noise in thermal equilibrium, we reveal their intrinsic dynamics and show that monopole kinetics are minimally correlated (that is, most diffusive) in the plasma phase. These results open the door to on-demand monopole regimes having field-tunable densities and dynamic properties, thereby providing a new paradigm for probing the physics of effective magnetic charges in synthetic matter.
Magnetic analogue of an isolated free electric charge, i.e., a magnet with a single north or south pole, is a long sought-after particle which remains elusive so far. In magnetically frustrated pyrochlore solids, a classical analogue of monopole was observed as a result of excitation of spin ice vertices. Direct visualization of such excitations were proposed and later confirmed in analogous artificial spin ice (ASI) systems of square as well as Kagome geometries. However, such charged vertices are randomly created as they are thermally driven and are always associated with corresponding emerg…
The effect of the size of the system, aspect ratio and impurities concentration on the dynamic of emergent magnetic monopoles in artificial spin ice systems
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales（迭戈帕拉莱斯大学工程学院）
Magnetic monopole unpairing as a function of external magnetic fields is presented as a fingerprint of this emergent quasiparticles freedom in a two-dimensional artificial spin ice system. Such freedom, required for example for further application in magnetricity, is only possible due to ground-state degeneracy, which causes a decreasing of the string energy in rectangular geometries, designed to allow highest equidistance among nanomagnets. We show by simulations that spin correlation in different rectangular artificial spin ices evolves from antiferromagnetic ordered magnetic structure to a …
Current research on artificial spin ice (ASI) systems has revealed unique hysteretic memory effects and mobile quasi-particle monopoles controlled by externally applied magnetic fields. Here, we numerically demonstrate a strain-mediated multiferroic approach to locally control the ASI monopoles. The magnetization of individual lattice elements is controlled by applying voltage pulses to the piezoelectric layer resulting in strain-induced magnetic precession timed for 180 degree reorientation. The model demonstrates localized voltage control to move the magnetic monopoles across lattice sites, …
We relate the anomalous noise found experimentally in spin ice to the subdiffusion of magnetic monopoles. Because monopoles are emergent particles, they do not move in a structureless vacuum. Rather, the underlying spin ensemble filters the thermal white noise, leading to non-trivial coevolution. Thus, monopoles can be considered as random walkers under the effect of stochastic forces only as long as those are not trivially white, but instead subsume the evolution of the spin vacuum. Via this conceptualization, we conjecture relations between the color of the noise and other observables, such …
We consider a pure square spin ice, that is a square ice where only nearest neighbors are coupled. A gauge-free duality between the perpendicular and collinear structure leads to a natural description in terms of topological currents and charges as the relevant degrees of freedom. That, in turn, can be expressed via a continuous field theory where the discrete spins are subsumed into entropic interactions among charges and currents. This approach produces structure factors, correlations, and susceptibilities for spins, monopoles, and currents. It also generalizes to non-zero temperature the he…
Proceeding from the more general to the more concrete, we propose an equilibrium field theory describing spin ice systems in terms of topological charges and magnetic monopoles. We show that for a spin ice on a graph, the entropic interaction in a Gaussian approximation is the inverse of the graph Laplacian matrix, while the screening function for external charges is the inverse of the screened laplacian. We particularize the treatment to square and pyrochlore ice. For square ice we highlight the gauge-free duality between direct and perpendicular structure in terms of symmetry between charges…
We describe degenerate square spin as an ensemble of magnetic monopoles coupled via an emergent entropic field that subsumes the effect of the underlying spin vacuum. We compute their effective free energy, entropic interaction, correlations, screening, and structure factors that coincide with the experimental ones. Unlike in pyrochlore ices, a dimensional mismatch between real and entropic interactions leads to weak singularities at the pinch points and algebraic correlations at long distance. This algebraic screening can be, however, camouflaged by a pseudo-screening regime.
We report here the results of micromagnetic simulations of square artificial spin ice (ASI) systems with defects. The defects are introduced by misaligning of a nanomagnet at the vertex. In these defective systems, we are able to stabilize emergent monopole-like state by applying a small external field. We observe a systematic change of dipolar energies of the systems with varying misalignment angle. The fields at which the emergent monopoles are created vary linearly with the dipolar energies of the systems. Our results clearly show that the magnetization reversal of the ASI systems is intric…
Over the past few years, the study of magnetization dynamics in artificial spin ices has become a vibrant field of study. Artificial spin ices are ensembles of geometrically arranged, interacting magnetic nanoislands, which display frustration by design. These were initially created to mimic the behavior in rare earth pyrochlore materials and to study emergent behavior and frustration using two-dimensional magnetic measurement techniques. Recently, it has become clear that it is possible to create artificial spin ices, which can potentially be used as functional materials. In this Perspective,…
Artificial spin ices are ensembles of geometrically-arranged, interacting nanomagnets which have shown promising potential for the realization of reconfigurable magnonic crystals. Such systems allow for the manipulation of spin waves on the nanoscale and their potential use as information carriers. However, there are presently two general obstacles to the realization of artificial spin ice-based magnonic crystals: the magnetic state of artificial spin ices is difficult to reconfigure and the magnetostatic interactions between the nanoislands are often weak, preventing mode coupling. We demonst…
Artificial spin ice systems have been introduced as a possible mean to investigate frustration effects in a well-controlled manner by fabricating lithographically-patterned two-dimensional arrangements of interacting magnetic nanostructures. This approach offers the opportunity to visualize unconventional states of matter, directly in real space, and triggered a wealth of studies at the frontier between nanomagnetism, statistical thermodynamics and condensed matter physics. Despite the strong efforts made these last ten years to provide an artificial realization of the celebrated square ice mo…
Magnetic nanoarray with special geometries exhibits nontrivial collective behaviors similar to those observed in the spin ice materials. Here we present a novel circuit model to describe the complex magnetotransport phenomena in artificial kagome spin ice. In this picture, the system can be viewed as a resistor network driven by voltage sources that are located at vertices of the honeycomb array. The differential voltages across different terminals of these sources are related to the ice-rules that govern the local magnetization ordering. The circuit model relates the transverse Hall voltage o…
Domain wall propagation dynamics have been studied in nanostructured artificial kagome spin ice structures. A stripline circuit has been used to provide localised pulsed magnetic fields within the artificial spin ice structure. This provides control of the system through electrically assisted domain wall nucleation events. Synchronisation of the pulsed fields with additional global magnetic fields and the use of a focussed magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometer allows our experiments to probe the domain wall transit through an extended ASI structure. We find that the propagation distance dep…
We introduce FePd$_{3}$ as a new material for studying thermally active artificial spin ice (ASI) systems and use it to investigate both the square and kagome ice geometries. We readily achieve perfect ground state ordering in the square lattice and demonstrate the highest yet degree of monopole charge-ordering in the kagome lattice. We find that smaller lattice constants in the kagome system generally produce larger domains of charge order. Monte Carlo simulations show excellent agreement with our data when a small amount of disorder is included in the simulation.
We have performed a detailed study of thermal annealing of the moment configuration in artificial spin ice. Permalloy (Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$) artificial spin ice samples were examined in the prototypical square ice geometry, studying annealing as a function of island thickness, island shape, and annealing temperature and duration. We also measured the Curie temperature as a function of film thickness, finding that thickness has a strong effect on the Curie temperature in regimes of relevance to many studies of the dynamics of artificial spin ice systems. Increasing the interaction energy between …
We report angular-dependent spin-wave spectroscopy on kagome artificial spin ice made of large arrays of interconnected Ni80Fe20 nanobars. Spectra taken in saturated and disordered states exhibit a series of resonances with characteristic in-plane angular dependencies. Micromagnetic simulations allow us to interpret characteristic resonances of a two-step magnetization reversal of the nanomagnets. The dynamic properties are consistent with topological defects that are provoked via a magnetic field applied at specific angles. Simulations that we performed on previously investigated kagome artif…
Artificial spin ices are periodic arrangements of interacting nanomagnets successfully used to investigate emergent phenomena in the presence of geometric frustration. Recently, it has been shown that artificial spin ices can be used as building blocks for creating functional materials, such as magnonic crystals, and support a large number of programmable magnetic states. We investigate the magnetization dynamics in a system exhibiting anisotropic magnetostatic interactions owing to locally broken structural inversion symmetry. We find a rich spin-wave spectrum and investigate its evolution in…
We have studied the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the total magnetic moment of large-area permalloy artificial square spin ice arrays. The temperature dependence and hysteresis behavior are consistent with the coherent magnetization reversal expected in the Stoner-Wohlfarth model, with clear deviations due to inter-island interactions at small lattice spacing. Through micromagnetic simulations, we explore this behavior and demonstrate that the deviations result from increasingly complex magnetization reversal at small lattice spacing, induced by inter-island interactions, and de…
Artificial spin ices (ASIs) are designable arrays of interacting nanomagnets that span a wide range of magnetic phases associated with a number of spin lattice models. Here, we demonstrate that the phase of an artificial kagome spin ice can be determined from its initial magnetization curve. As a proof of concept, micromagnetic simulations of these curves were performed starting from representative microstates of different phases of the system. We show that the curves are characterized by phase-specific features in such a way that a pattern recognition algorithm predicts the phase of the initi…
We have imaged magnetization textures of permalloy films patterned into Penrose P2 tilings (P2T) using scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA). P2T film segments have near-uniform, bipolar magnetization, similar to artificial spin ices, but with asymmetric vertex coordination that induces a more complex spin ice behavior mediated by exchange interactions in vertex domain walls. Numerical simulations including long-range dipole interactions agree with SEMPA images of as-grown P2T, and predict a ferromagnetic ground state for a 2D P2T lattice of classical Ising spins.
Artificial square spin ices are structures composed of magnetic elements arranged on a geometrically frustrated lattice and located on the sites of a two-dimensional square lattice, such that there are four interacting magnetic elements at each vertex. Using a semi-analytical approach, we show that square spin ices exhibit a rich spin wave band structure that is tunable both by external magnetic fields and the configuration of individual elements. Internal degrees of freedom can give rise to equilibrium states with bent magnetization at the edges leading to characteristic excitations; in the p…
Systems that exhibit topologically protected edge states are interesting both from a fundamental point of view as well as for potential applications, the latter because of the absence of back-scattering and robustness to perturbations. It is desirable to be able to control and manipulate such edge states. Here, we show that artificial square ices can incorporate both features: an interfacial Dzyaloshinksii-Moriya gives rise to topologically non-trivial magnon bands, and the equilibrium state of the spin ice is reconfigurable with different configurations having different magnon dispersions and…
We report on the study of the thermal dynamics of square artificial spin ice, probed by means of temperature and frequency dependent AC susceptibility. Pronounced influence of the inter-island coupling strength was found on the frequency response of the samples. Through the subsequent analysis of the frequency- and coupling-dependent freezing temperatures, we discuss the phenomenological parameters obtained in the framework of Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law in terms of the samples microscopic features. The high sensitivity and robust signal to noise ratio of AC susceptibility validates the latter a…
We report broadband spin-wave spectroscopy on kagome artificial spin ice (ASI) made of large arrays of interconnected Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ nanobars. Spectra taken in saturated and disordered states exhibit a series of resonances with characteristic magnetic field dependencies. Making use of micromagnetic simulations, we identify resonances that reflect the spin-solid-state and monopole-antimonopole pairs on Dirac strings. The latter resonances allow for the generation of highly-charged vertices in ASIs via microwave assisted switching. Our findings open further perspectives for fundamental studi…
Artificial spin ices are engineered arrays of dipolarly coupled nanobar magnets. They enable direct investigations of fascinating collective phenomena from their diverse microstates. However, experimental access to ground states in the geometrically frustrated systems has proven difficult, limiting studies and applications of novel properties and functionalities from the low energy states. Here, we introduce a convenient approach to control the competing diploar interactions between the neighboring nanomagnets, allowing us to tailor the vertex degeneracy of the ground states. We achieve this b…
Small amplitude dipolar oscillations are considered in artificial spin ice on a square lattice in two dimensions. The net magnetic moment of each elongated magnetic island in the spin ice is assumed to have Heisenberg-like dynamics. Each island's magnetic moment is assumed to be influenced by shape anisotropies and by the dipolar interactions with its nearest neighbors. The magnetic dynamics is linearized around one of the ground states, leading to an $8\times 8$ matrix to be diagonalized for the magnetic spin wave modes. Analytic solutions are found and classified as antisymmetric and symmetr…
We study an artificial spin ice system consisting of two identical layers separated by a height offset $h$. For small separation, the layers are shown to attract each other, provided the whole system is in the ground state. Such an attraction comes about by means of a power-law force that we compare to van der Waals forces. When magnetic monopoles occur in one (or both) layers, the scenario becomes even more interesting and these layers may also repel each other. By tuning parameters like $h$ and monopole distance, switching between attraction and repulsion may be accomplished in a feasible wa…
In this paper we conduct Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the thermodynamic properties of a geometry of artificial spin ice recently proposed in the literature that had been termed "rewritable" spin ice, for its experimental realization allows total control over the microstates of the system. Our results show that in the thermodynamic limit a single phase transition between a fully magnetized state and a paramagnetic state exists, whereas for finite systems an intermediate phase also emerges, engendering a low temperature pseudo phase transition. This intermediate phase is characterized …
Designing and constructing model systems that embody the statistical mechanics of frustration is now possible using nanotechnology. We have arranged nanomagnets on a two-dimensional square lattice to form an artificial spin ice, and studied its fractional excitations, emergent magnetic monopoles, and how they respond to a driving field using X-ray magnetic microscopy. We observe a regime in which the monopole drift velocity is linear in field above a critical field for the onset of motion. The temperature dependence of the critical field can be described by introducing an interaction term into…
Artificial ices enable the study of geometrical frustration by design and through direct observation. However, it has proven difficult to achieve tailored long-range ordering of their diverse configurations, limiting both fundamental and applied research directions. We designed an artificial spin structure that produces a magnetic charge ice with tunable long-range ordering of eight different configurations. We also developed a technique to precisely manipulate the local magnetic charge states and demonstrate write-read-erase multifunctionality at room temperature. This globally reconfigurable…
Analyzing the magnetic structure factor of a field demagnetized artificial square ice, qualitative deviations from what would predict the square ice model are observed. Combining micromagnetic and Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that these deviations signal the presence of interactions between nanomagnets that extend beyond nearest neighbors. Including further neighbor, dipolar-like couplings in the square ice model, we find that the first seven or eight coupling strengths are needed to reproduce semi-quantitatively the main features of the magnetic structure factor measured experiment…
In this letter, we have constructed and experimentally investigated frustrated arrays of dipoles forming two-dimensional artificial spin ices with different lattice parameters (rectangular arrays with horizontal and vertical lattice spacings denoted by $a$ and $b$ respectively). Arrays with three different ratios $γ=a/b = \sqrt{2}$, $\sqrt{3}$ and $\sqrt{4}$ are studied. Theoretical calculations of low-energy demagnetized configurations for these same parameters are also presented. Experimental data for demagnetized samples confirm most of the theoretical results. However, the highest energy t…
