Measurement of charge and current

of magnetic monopoles in spin ice

Mini Journal Club

Nature 461, 888-889 (15 October 2009)

 Introduction
• The existence of magnetic
monopoles has been predicted by
various particle theories including
grand unification theory and various
string theories.
• In 1931, Dirac showed that the
existence of magnetic monopoles
was consistent with maxwell´s
equations only if electric charge is
quantised.
• In September this year, two research
groups independently reported the
existence of magnetic monopoles in
spin ice systems .
 Basic Idea

• The authors map the fractionalization of magnetic dipoles in a spin-ice

material (Dy2Ti2O7) on to the ionization of molecules in Onsager's theory.

• The dipoles can be viewed as 'molecules' consisting of monopole–anti-

monopole pairs.

• The monopoles and anti-monopoles play the part of ions that can
separate. This separation can be accelerated by applying an external
magnetic field.
 Spin Ice Systems
• Basically, systems where magnetic moments of ions remain disordered
even at lowest temperatures.
e.g. Dy2Ti2O7, Ho2Ti2O7

• Have a pyrochlore structure where Ho3+,Dy3+ form a lattice of corner

sharing tetrahedra.

• Minimum energy rule requires a “two-in two-out” configuration.

Science 16 October 2009:

Vol. 326. no. 5951, pp. 415 - 417

Magnetic Wien effect, and the
detection of magnetic charge
Nature 461, 888-889 (15 October 2009)
a. In zero field, magnetic charges occur as
bound pairs,but some dissociate to give a
fluctuating magnetic moment (green arrow).
b. The field energy competes with the Coulomb
potential to lower the activation barrier to
dissociation.
c. The application of a transverse field
causes dissociation as charges are
accelerated by the field.
d.In the applied field, these charges remain
dissociated while more bound pairs form to
restore equilibrium. Magnetic moment
fluctuations due to free charges produce
local fields that are detected by implanted
muons .
 Onsagers theory
Applies to any 3-dimensional coulombic fluid governed by two
successive equilibria.
Quasiparticle vacuum ≡ bound pair of charges ≡free charges

In the presence of an electric field, there is an increase in the rate of

dissociation and hence in the equilibrium constant

Assuming perfect symmetry between electricity and magnetism, the

same theory must apply to a a magnetic system.
ONSAGER’S EQUATION

 b2 
K ( B )  K (0) 1  b   .....
 2  (1)

  0Q 3 E 
b 2 
 8 2
k 2
T 
 From K to a measurable magnetic quantity

2
K eq  n0 (2)
1
nu
n0  nu  nb and  
n0

Following a disturbance, the relaxation of ∆α back to the equilibrium

value is determined by charge recombination. Onsager showed this
decay to be exponential with time constant
 0 = Magnetic permeability
   2  0 (3)
 = Magnetic conductivity

Thus, the following proportionalities can be established from equations (1),

(2) and (3):

  ( B)  ( B)  ( B) K ( B) b b2
    1   ... (4)
  ( 0)  ( 0)  ( 0 ) K (0) 2 24
An increase in the equilibrium constant K with increase in magnetic field (Wien
effect) also corresponds to a change in the magnetic moment per unit forward
reaction

  ln K    G 0
/ kT   / 
      
 B T , N  B T , N kT (5)

Again, using equation (1), we find that, in the weak field limit,

 kTb
 (6)
 B
(6) Can be integrated to find a proportionality between finite changes ∆μ and ∆α

Thus, if an applied field is suddenly changed to a new value, then the slow
relaxation of the moment occurs at the same rate as that of the monopole
density
  
Combining this with Onsager‘s equation (1), the measurement of magnetic
moment fluctuation rate is equivalent to observing the magnetic conductivity and
it gives direct access to the magnetic Wien effect

  ( B)  ( B) b (7)
  1
  (0)  (0) 2
Holds iff 
 0
 
 0

The elementary magnetic charge may be derived from the initial slope and
intercept of the field dependence of νμ(B)

Q  2.1223m T
* 1/ 3 2/3
(8)
 Measurement of magnetic fluctuation rate
• Transverse field muon spin rotation is used to track the fluctuation rate of
magnetic moment

• In μSR, muons implanted into a sample precess around the sum of the
local and applied fields, and their decay characteristics give information on
the time dependence of these fields.

• In the low temperature limit of slowly fluctuating magnetisation, it is

possible to setup the experiment, such that the exponential decay rate of
muons is proportional to the characteristic rate of the magnetic moment.
 Results

The high temperature regime follows the

expected activated behaviour as described
in the text (fit is shown as a solid line). At
low temperature, λ is proportional to the
monopole concentration. Its rapid
increase above 0.3 K marks a crossover
from the regime of weak screening to
strong screening of the charges.

Thus 0.07K < Temperature < 0.3K is the range where this approximated
Onsager’s theory is valid.
Represents a relatively large range in the physically relevant parameter 1/T

Nature 461, 888-889 (15 October 2009)

 Onsager's theory is valid in the
regime Tlower < T < Tupper where
the magnetic charges are
unscreened. The horizontal green
line marks the theoretical
prediction .

The value of elementary magnetic charge is found to be equal to

0 1
5 B A

In agreement with the the value suggested by the Microscopic theory

of Spin ices
Nature 461, 888-889 (15 October 2009)
 Summary of results
• Establishes that MAGNETRICITY can be measured directly

• Proof of existence of magnetic charges in Dy2Ti2O7.

• Confirms that magnetic charges do interact with a coulombic force and

are accelerated by a magnetic field.

• Provides an instance of 3-dimensional fractionalisation.

• Similar results have also been published for Ho2Ti2O7 which use polarised
neutron scattering probes to prove experimentally that magnetic charges
do interact with a coulomb potential.

THE END
THANK YOU