LAUSR

We present single crystal diffuse neutron scattering study on the quantum spin ice candidate Nd2Zr2O7 pyrochlore in magnetic fields along the (1 1 0) direction. Two-dimensional scattering sheets perpendicular to the (1 -1 0) direction were observed evidencing field-induced one-dimensional correlations and disorder. The pyrochlore lattice is completely separated into orthogonal sets of chains which is in strong contrast to classical spin ice and surprising for an “all-in-all-out” (AIAO) ordered magnet with a non-Ising Hamiltonian. Our mean field and Monte Carlo simulations reveal that the (1 1 0) field induces a transition from the AIAO order to a “2-in-2-out” disordered state with interactions between the two sets of chains cancelled out, resulting in disorder and quantum spin-1/2 XY Z chains.