Frustration-induced magic number clusters of colloidal magnetic particles.
We report the formation of stable two-dimensional clusters consisting of long-range-interacting colloidal particles with predefined magnetic moments. The symmetry and arrangement of the particles within the cluster are imposed by the magnetic frustration. By satisfying the criteria of stability, a series of magic number clusters is formed. The magic clusters are close packed and have compensating magnetic moments and chirality. Thus, the system can be regarded as a classical mesoscopic model for spin arrangements in two-dimensional triangular antiferromagnets, although the exact nature of the interactions between the macroscopic magnetic moments is different.
Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitätstrasse 10, Konstanz, D-78457, Germany. larysa.baraban@uni-konstanz.de
Larysa
L
Baraban
Denys
D
Makarov
Manfred
M
Albrecht
Nicolas
N
Rivier
Paul
P
Leiderer
Artur
A
Erbe