title: Dynamic Control of Topological Defects in Artificial Colloidal Ice.
abstract: We demonstrate the use of an external field to stabilize and control defect lines connecting topological monopoles in spin ice. For definiteness we perform Brownian dynamics simulations with realistic units mimicking experimentally realized artificial colloidal spin ice systems, and show how defect lines can grow, shrink or move under the action of direct and alternating fields. Asymmetric alternating biasing forces can cause the defect line to ratchet in either direction, making it possible to precisely position the line at a desired location. Such manipulation could be employed to achieve mobile information storage in these metamaterials.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj, 400084, Romania.|Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Libál
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nisoli
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reichhardt
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA. cjrx@lanl.gov.
authors.forename: C J Olson
authors.initials: CJO
authors.lastname: Reichhardt