Breaking the ice: Scientists use attracting particles to form an anti-spin ice
In a recent Nature Communications study, researchers have reported the realization of an anti-spin ice, a system that does the opposite of conventional spin ices by breaking the ice rule that governs them.
In a recent Nature Communications study, researchers have reported the realization of an anti-spin ice, a system that does the opposite of conventional spin ices by breaking the ice rule that governs them.
The short version
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- Spin ices are magnetic systems that mimic a rule found in water ice.
- In water ice, each oxygen atom keeps two hydrogen atoms close and two farther away.
What happened
Because many arrangements satisfy this rule equally well, the hydrogen atoms in ice end up being disordered, meaning that there's no repeating pattern. This is a sign of geometric frustration, which occurs when competing interactions in a system can't all be satisfied at once, leaving many equally good compromises.
Why it matters
Scientists have recreated this behavior in engineered systems called artificial spin ices, built from arrays of tiny magnets or microscopic particles called colloids.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Phys.org via the links above and below.