Spinner Ices and Glasses

Frustrated magnetic systems such as spin ices and spin glasses are examples of how simple local rules can generate complex collective behavior, including emergent excitations and glassy dynamics. These systems are central to our understanding of disordered materials, non-equilibrium phenomena, and the emergence of effective degrees of freedom such as magnetic monopoles. However, their experimental investigation remains challenging because of low-temperature requirements, subtle thermodynamic signatures, and difficulties in controlling disorder and geometry independently. Here, we introduce a macroscopic experimental platform that emulates the essential Physics of both spin ices and spin glasses using arrays of mechanical rotators, the “spinners”, embedded with permanent magnets. By varying the spatial arrangement and symmetry of trefoil-shaped spinners, we engineer dipolar interactions that give rise to magnetic frustration and an exponentially large number of mechanically stable states. Ordered spinner lattices exhibit extensive ground-state degeneracy, capturing key features of spin ice Physics, while disordered configurations with mixed spinner types give rise to rugged energy landscapes reminiscent of spin glasses. Our results establish a tangible and tunable framework for exploring frustrated magnetism at the human scale, opening new avenues for mechanical computing, information storage, and the study of emergent complexity.