A Three Dimensional Kasteleyn Transition: Spin Ice in a [100] Field

TL;DR

This paper investigates the 3D Kasteleyn transition in spin ice materials under a [100] magnetic field, revealing topological features and analyzing the transition through theory and simulations, with experimental comparisons.

Contribution

It identifies the low-temperature magnetization approach as a 3D Kasteleyn transition and combines analytical and Monte Carlo methods for its study.

Findings

Transition is topological with system-spanning excitations.

Analytical and Monte Carlo results agree with experimental data.

Magnetization saturation occurs via a 3D Kasteleyn transition.

Abstract

We examine the statistical mechanics of spin-ice materials with a [100] magnetic field. We show that the approach to saturated magnetisation is, in the low-temperature limit, an example of a 3D Kasteleyn transition, which is topological in the sense that magnetisation is changed only by excitations that span the entire system. We study the transition analytically and using a Monte Carlo cluster algorithm, and compare our results with recent data from experiments on Dy2Ti2O7.