Spin Nematic States in Frustrated Magnets(Current Topics)

Abstract

Recent theoretical studies revealed that "magnetic frustration" in magnetic compounds, driven by competing spin interactions, can destabilize local spin ordering, instead giving rise to formation of a spin nematic state. Though spins do not show any vector order, spin degrees of freedom on each bond behave as a director (headless arrow) showing a directional order, which is similar to nematic order in liquid crystals. It was found that the spin nematic phase often appears proximity to the ferromagnetic phase boundary.