Temporal and spatial separations between spin glass and short-range order

Read full text
Authors: Margarita G. Dronova, Feng Ye, Zachary Morgan, Yishu Wang, Yejun Feng
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Broken-symmetry-induced order parameters account for many phenomena in physics. For spin glasses, this framework dictates the theoretical construction, whereas experiments have only established dynamical behaviors but not the physical entity. Experimental techniques have limitations when the spin glass is probed as an isolated state. Here, we create an evolution from a long-range order using well-controlled non-magnetic substitution on a sublattice. Neutron magnetic diffuse scattering of pico-second timescale reveals that the dynamics of short- and long-range order formation are not affected by disorder, but their spatial ranges are. Across all specimens, the inflection point of spin correlation length's temperature dependence fully matches with the peak in heat capacity, while spin glass can freeze at millisecond timescale either above or below this characteristic temperature of spin-order formation. Our results identify the spin glass as single, uncorrelated spins at domain walls between spin clusters, and an uncorrelated coexistence of the two.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Theoretical and Computational Physics Material Dynamics and Properties Advanced Condensed Matter Physics

Publication details

Journal / source
Matter
Volume
9
Issue
9
Pages
102829–102829
Publication date
21 May 2026
Language
EN