Ice Rule and Emergent Frustration in Particle Ice

POSTER

Abstract

In this talk I will describe recent experimental results obtained by using artificial particle ice systems, namely interacting paramagnetic colloids gravitationally trapped within lithographic structures. With experiments, theory and simulations, I will demonstrate that in mixed coordination geometries, entropy-driven negative monopoles spontaneously appear at a density determined by the vertex-mixture ratio. Unlike its spin-based analogue, the colloidal system displays a “fragile ice” manifold, where local energetics oppose the ice rule, which is instead enforced through conservation of the global topological charge. The fragile colloidal ice, stabilized by topology, can be spontaneously broken by topological charge transfer.

*ERC Grant (No.811234); MINECO (FIS2016-78507-C2,ERC2018-092827), DURSI (2017SGR1061), and Generalitatde Catalunya under Program “ICREA Acadèmia.”

Presenters

  • Pietro Tierno

    • Univ de Barcelona
    • Departament de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona

Authors

  • Antonio Ortiz ambriz

    • Univ de Barcelona
    • Departament de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona

  • Cristiano Nisoli

    • Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos National Lab
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab
    • Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Cynthia Reichhardt

    • Los Alamos National Lab
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Charles Reichhardt

    • Los Alamos National Lab
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory
    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Pietro Tierno

    • Univ de Barcelona
    • Departament de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona