Magnetization process of spin ice in a [111] magnetic field

Abstract

Spin ice in a magnetic field in the [111] direction displays two magnetization plateaux, one at saturation and an intermediate one with finite entropy. We study the crossovers between the different regimes from a point of view of (entropically) interacting defects. We develop an analytical theory for the nearest-neighbor spin ice model, which covers most of the magnetization curve. We find that the entropy is non-monotonic, exhibiting a giant spike between the two plateaux. This regime is described by a monomer-dimer model with tunable fugacities. At low fields, we develop an RG treatment for the extended string defects, and we compare our results to extensive Monte Carlo simulations. We address the implications of our results for cooling by adiabatic (de)magnetization.