Probing short-range magnetic order in a geometrically frustrated magnet by means of the spin Seebeck effect

The spin Seebeck effect (SSE) is a phenomenon where a spin current is generated from thermal excitations in magnetic materials. It is believed that magnetic long-range order (LRO) is not required for SSE, while short-ranged order (SRO) plays an important role. However, a definitive experimental demonstration of the connection between the SSE and SRO has been missing. Here, we show that the SSE is able to probe a specific SRO in a model geometrically frustrated magnet Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG). A field-induced SRO in GGG is detected by the SSE in the temperature range 2-5 K. The origin of the SRO is verified by comparing the SSE data directly to existing neutron scattering measurements at much lower temperatures (T<0.9 K), where field-induced LRO exists. Our theoretical calculations of the magnetic structure further confirm the anisotropic field dependence of the SRO in GGG. These findings establish that the SSE can serve as an effective probe of SRO in geometrically frustrated magnets.