Exact Nematic and Mixed Magnetic Phases Driven by Competing Orders on the Pyrochlore Lattice

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Abstract

Pyrochlore magnets are a paradigmatic example of three-dimensional frustrated systems and provide an excellent platform for studying a variety of exotic many-body phenomena, including spin liquids, nematic phases, fragmentation, and order by disorder. In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to bilinear spin models on this lattice, where multiple magnetic phases can be degenerate in energy, often stabilizing unconventional magnetic states. In this work, we focus on one such model, parametrized by the interaction coupling Jz±, which defines a line in parameter space corresponding to the phase boundary between three distinct magnetic phases. Using a combination of analytical and numerical methods, we show that this model exhibits an order-by-disorder mechanism at low temperatures, giving rise to a mixed magnetic phase. This realizes a ℓ=0 long-range-ordered phase in a pyrochlore magnet characterized by two distinct order parameters, which we denote as the A2⊕ψ2 phase. Furthermore, at Jz±=1/√(2), the model acquires a subextensive number of discrete symmetries, which preclude the stabilization of conventional long-range order and instead lead to the emergence of a novel nematic phase. We characterize this nematic phase, describe how its ground-state configurations are constructed, and analyze its stability at higher temperatures and under small deviations from Jz±=1/√(2).

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number031070
JournalPhysical Review X
Volume16
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 16 Sept 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Condensed Matter Physics, Statistical Physics, Strongly Correlated Materials