Magnetic dilution and domain selection in the XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er$_{2}$Ti$_2$O$_7$

Below $T_N = 1.1$K, the XY pyrochlore Er$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ orders into a $k=0$ non-collinear, antiferromagnetic structure referred to as the $ψ_2$ state. The magnetic order in Er$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ is known to obey conventional three dimensional (3D) percolation in the presence of magnetic dilution, and in that sense is robust to disorder. Recently, however, two theoretical studies have predicted that the $ψ_2$ structure should be unstable to the formation of a related $ψ_3$ magnetic structure in the presence of magnetic vacancies. To investigate these theories, we have carried out systematic elastic and inelastic neutron scattering studies of three single crystals of Er$_{2-x}$Y$_x$Ti$_2$O$_7$ with $x=0$ (pure), 0.2 (10$\%$-Y) and 0.4 (20$\%$-Y), where magnetic Er$^{3+}$ is substituted by non-magnetic Y$^{3+}$. We find that the $ψ_2$ ground state of pure Er$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ is significantly affected by magnetic dilution. The characteristic domain selection associated with the $ψ_2$ state, and the corresponding energy gap separating $ψ_2$ from $ψ_3$, vanish for Y$^{3+}$ substitutions between 10$\%$-Y and 20$\%$-Y, far removed from the 3D percolation threshold of $\sim$60$\%$-Y. The resulting ground state for Er$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ with magnetic dilutions from 20$\%$-Y up to the percolation threshold is naturally interpreted as a frozen mosaic of $ψ_2$ and $ψ_3$ domains.

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