The magnetic structure factor of the square ice: A phenomenological description

Abstract

We consider the sixteen vertex model, and we describe, phenomenologically, the main features of the square ice magnetic structure factor. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that in the high-temperature regime, the magnetic structure factor of the square ice can be seen as the superposition of two distinct magnetic structure factors associated with two other models. In particular, we provide empirical arguments to explain why intensity is present in some regions of reciprocal space and absent in other locations. We also tentatively explain why the so-called pinch points, evidencing the algebraic nature of the spin-spin correlations once the system is brought into its ground state manifold, appear for certain wavevectors only.