Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 067207 (2008) [4 pages]Three-Dimensional Kasteleyn Transition: Spin Ice in a [100] FieldReceived 4 October 2007; revised 21 December 2007; published 15 February 2008 We examine the statistical mechanics of spin-ice materials with a [100] magnetic field. We show that the approach to saturated magnetization is, in the low-temperature limit, an example of a 3D Kasteleyn transition, which is topological in the sense that magnetization is changed only by excitations that span the entire system. We study the transition analytically and using a Monte Carlo cluster algorithm, and compare our results with recent data from experiments on Dy2Ti2O7. © 2008 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.067207
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.067207
PACS:
75.40.Cx, 75.10.Hk, 75.40.Mg
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