Resolving magnetic frustration in a pyrochlore lattice

TL;DR

This paper investigates how geometric frustration affects magnetic phases in CeFe$_2$ pyrochlore, revealing the interplay of lattice symmetry, magnetic energy scales, and external conditions through experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the ground states and phase transitions in CeFe$_2$, offering a general understanding of magnetic frustration in pyrochlore inter-metallics.

Findings

Identification of ground states and phase boundaries

Quantitative illustration of competing magnetic energy scales

Comparison of phase transitions under different conditions

Abstract

CeFe$_2$ is a geometrically frustrated ferromagnet that lies close to an instability at which a subtle change in the lattice symmetry couples to a transition to antiferromagnetism. We use x-ray diffraction, diamond-anvil-cell techniques, and numerical simulation to identify the ground states and to quantitatively illustrate effects of competing magnetic energy scales and geometrical frustration on the magnetic phase diagram. Comparison of phase transitions under both chemical substitution and applied pressure suggests a general solution to the physics of pyrochlore rare earth inter-metallic magnets.