Multi-step ordering in kagome and square artificial spin ice

Abstract

We show that in colloidal models of artificial kagome and modified square ice systems, a variety of ordering and disordering regimes occurs as a function of the biasing field, temperature and colloid-colloid interaction strength, including ordered monopole crystals, biased ice rule states, thermally induced ice-rule ground states, biased triple states and disordered states. We describe the lattice geometries and biasing field protocols that create the different states and explain the formation of the states in terms of sublattice switching thresholds. For a system prepared in a monopole lattice state, we show that a sequence of different orderings occurs for increasing temperature. Our results also explain several features observed in nanomagnetic artificial ice systems under an applied field. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.