Defects dynamics following thermal quenches in square spin-ice

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dynamic behavior of defects in square spin-ice systems after thermal quenches, revealing long-lived metastable states and coarsening processes relevant to artificial spin ice applications.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of defect dynamics and metastable states in the two-dimensional sixteen vertex model, linking theoretical insights to artificial spin ice.

Findings

Identification of dynamic regimes controlled by different processes

Observation of long-lived metastable states depending on system parameters

Analysis of coarsening behavior after quenches into ordered phases

Abstract

We present a study of the single spin flip stochastic dynamics of the two dimensional sixteen vertex model. We single out several dynamic regimes controlled by different processes that we describe. We analyse the emergence of very long-lived metastable states and their dependence on the system size, boundary conditions, and working parameters. We investigate the coarsening process after quenches into the ordered ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. We discuss our results in the context of artificial spin ice on square lattices.