Dynamics of quantum excitations in square ice*

The study of emergent excitations in classical spin ice has culminated in the discovery of a condensed-matter realization of magnetic monopoles. In spin-ice materials where quantum fluctuations play an important role, excitations acquire quantum properties that promote them to more complicated and exciting objects. To understand these quantum excitations better in a relatively simple context, we construct a toy model of excited square ice and solve it both exactly by tuning it to a Rokhsar-Kivelson point and numerically for small clusters. We furthermore numerically evaluate the dynamic spin structure factor and compare it to effective free-particle theories. Our results offer a useful point of comparison for further theoretical and experimental work.