Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen

TT 6: Focused Session: Frontiers in Classical and Quantum Spin Liquids

TT 6.1: Invited Talk

Monday, March 14, 2011, 14:00–14:45, HSZ 03

Magnetolyte Properties of Spin Ice — •Steve Bramwell — University College London UK

The discovery of emergent magnetic monopoles in spin ice opens the question as to what extent spin ice behaves like a "magnetolyte" or magnetic electrolyte: a magnetic Coulomb gas with diffusive monopole dynamics.

In this talk I shall illustrate how spin ice realises an almost ideal magnetolyte. In particular I will discuss experimental evidence for the Wien effect (the field -induced dissociation of charges) and the zero field application of the classical Debye-Hückel-Bjerrum theory. I will also discuss recent work that explores the Coulomb gas phase diagram to include regions of strong charge correlations.

I shall draw comparison with the analogous electrical system - an electrolyte containing a ‘generation-dissociation’ equilibrium, and identify universal aspect of the problem that transcend physical, chemical and biological systems.