Magnetic correlations in spin ice Ho2-xYxTi2O7 as revealed by neutron polarization analysis

TL;DR

This study investigates magnetic correlations in Ho2-xYxTi2O7 spin ice using neutron polarization analysis, revealing how Y doping influences spin ice behavior and correlations at different temperatures.

Contribution

It provides detailed neutron scattering data and Monte Carlo simulations showing the effects of Y doping on spin ice correlations in Ho2-xYxTi2O7.

Findings

Y doping affects the width of pinch points at 2 K.

Dipolar spin ice correlations are robust against Y doping at low temperatures.

Strong antiferromagnetic correlations coexist with dipolar correlations at low T.

Abstract

We present single-crystal neutron-diffuse-scattering measurements with polarization analysis on the spin ice Ho2-xYxTi2O7 (x = 0, 0.3, and 1). At 2 K, the spin flip scattering patterns are typical of a nearest-neighbor spin ice and the effects of Y doping are seen in the width of the pinch points. At low-T, the spin flip patterns are characteristic of a dipolar spin ice and are unaffected by Y doping. In the non-spin flip channel, we observe the signature of strong antiferromagnetic correlations at the same T as the dipolar spin ice correlations appear in the spin flip channel. These experimental observations have been well reproduced by our Monte Carlo simulations.