Dr Owen Benton
Lecturer in Computational Condensed Matter
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Condensed Matter, Theoretical Physics, Quantum Magnetism, Spin Liquids, Frustrated systems
Interests
Much of my research is focused on understanding the properties of frustrated systems. That is, systems where the internal interactions pull in different directions, making it difficult to identify a simple ground state. In some cases, this results in ground states with strong quantum entanglement and excitations with fractional quantum numbers, such as in the case of quantum spin liquids.I seek to predict how these systems should behave in experiment, and use this is a guide to help find new phases of quantum matter.
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Experimental and Applied Physics2024
Potts M, Moessner R and Benton O (2024). Signatures of Spinon Dynamics and Phase Structure of Dipolar-Octupolar Quantum Spin Ices in Two-Dimensional Coherent Spectroscopy. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 133 (22) 27-11-2024
Flores-Calderón R, Benton O and Moessner R (2024). Irrational Moments and Signatures of Higher-Rank Gauge Theories in Diluted Classical Spin Liquids. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 133 (10) 03-09-2024
Placke B, Benton O and Moessner R (2024). Ising fracton spin liquid on the honeycomb lattice. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 110 (2) 01-07-2024
Yan H, 闫寒 , Benton O, Moessner R and Nevidomskyy AH (2024). Classification of classical spin liquids: Typology and resulting landscape. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 110 (2) 01-07-2024
Yan H, 闫寒 , Benton O, Nevidomskyy AH and Moessner R (2024). Classification of classical spin liquids: Detailed formalism and suite of examples. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 109 (17) 01-05-2024
Potts M, Moessner R and Benton O (2024). Exploiting polarization dependence in two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy: Examples of Ce2Zr2O7 and Nd2Zr2O7. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 109 (10) 01-03-2024
Yahne DR, Placke B, Schäfer R, Benton O, Moessner R, Powell M, Kolis JW, Pasco CM, May AF, Frontzek MD, Smith EM, Gaulin BD, Calder S and Ross KA (2024). Dipolar Spin Ice Regime Proximate to an All-In-All-Out Néel Ground State in the Dipolar-Octupolar Pyrochlore Ce2Sn2O7. Physical Review X, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 14 (1) 01-01-2024
2023
Schäfer R, Placke B, Benton O and Moessner R (2023). Abundance of Hard-Hexagon Crystals in the Quantum Pyrochlore Antiferromagnet. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 131 (9) 30-08-2023
Smith EM, Dudemaine J, Placke B, Schäfer R, Yahne DR, DeLazzer T, Fitterman A, Beare J, Gaudet J, Buhariwalla CRC, Podlesnyak A, Xu G, Clancy JP, Movshovich R, Luke GM, Ross KA, Moessner R, Benton O, Bianchi AD and Gaulin BD (2023). Quantum spin ice response to a magnetic field in the dipole-octupole pyrochlore Ce2Zr2O7. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 108 (5) 01-08-2023
2022
Scheie A, Benton O, Taillefumier M, Jaubert LDC, Sala G, Jalarvo N, Koohpayeh SM and Shannon N (2022). Dynamical Scaling as a Signature of Multiple Phase Competition in Yb2Ti2O7. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 129 (21) 15-11-2022
Potts M and Benton O (2022). Spin ice in a general applied magnetic field: Kasteleyn transition, magnetic torque, and rotational magnetocaloric effect. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 106 (5) 01-08-2022
Smith EM, Benton O, Yahne DR, Placke B, Schäfer R, Gaudet J, Dudemaine J, Fitterman A, Beare J, Wildes AR, Bhattacharya S, DeLazzer T, Buhariwalla CRC, Butch NP, Movshovich R, Garrett JD, Marjerrison CA, Clancy JP, Kermarrec E, Luke GM, et al. (2022). Case for a U(1)π Quantum Spin Liquid Ground State in the Dipole-Octupole Pyrochlore Ce2Zr2O7. Physical Review X, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 12 (2) 01-04-2022
2021
Benton O and Moessner R (2021). Topological Route to New and Unusual Coulomb Spin Liquids. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 127 (10) 03-09-2021
Palle G and Benton O (2021). Exactly solvable spin-12 XYZ models with highly degenerate partially ordered ground states. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 103 (21) 01-06-2021
Benton O (2021). Ordered ground states of kagome magnets with generic exchange anisotropy. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 103 (17) 01-05-2021
2020
Placke B, Moessner R and Benton O (2020). Hierarchy of energy scales and field-tunable order by disorder in dipolar-octupolar pyrochlores. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 102 (24) 01-12-2020
Benton O (2020). Ground-state phase diagram of dipolar-octupolar pyrochlores. Physical Review B, American Physical Society (APS) vol. 102 (10) 01-09-2020