Diversity enabling equilibration: disorder and the ground state in artificial spin ice

Budrikis, Z., Politi, P. and Stamps, R.L. (2011) Diversity enabling equilibration: disorder and the ground state in artificial spin ice. Physical Review Letters, 107(21), p. 217204. (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.217204)

Abstract

We report a novel approach to the question of whether and how the ground state can be achieved in square artificial spin ices where frustration is incomplete. We identify two sources of randomness that affect the approach to ground state: quenched disorder in the island response to fields and randomness in the sequence of driving fields. Numerical simulations show that quenched disorder can lead to final states with lower energy, and randomness in the sequence of driving fields always lowers the final energy attained by the system. We use a network picture to understand these two effects: disorder in island responses creates new dynamical pathways, and a random sequence of driving fields allows more pathways to be followed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Stamps, Professor Robert
• Authors: Budrikis, Z., Politi, P., and Stamps, R.L.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Research Group: MCMP
• Journal Name: Physical Review Letters
• Journal Abbr.: Phys. Rev. Lett.
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• ISSN: 0031-9007