Abstract

Rare earth anisotropic dipolar systems are ideal for the study of quantum phase transitions, as the weak magnetic dipolar interaction and the moderate anisotropy allow the induction of appreciable quantum fluctuations at applicable transverse magnetic fields. Furthermore, upon dilution, random interactions and effective random fields emerge, allowing the study of their interplay with quantum fluctuations in the ferromagnetic and spin glass phases. Here I will review some of the intriguing phenomena resulting from this interplay and from the uniqueness of the dipolar interaction, for the cases of the diluted and pure dipolar magnet with Ising anisotropy, and for the mixed Ising-XY system.