Researchers from NIST and an international team have discovered a novel quantum spin-liquid state in a copper-based material. The material exhibits unusual magnetic properties where copper atom spins remain in constant flux, creating a “frustrated” magnet within a solid crystalline lattice. This quantum fluid state, characterized by spin and orbital quantum fluctuations, represents a new type of magnetism that could have future applications in materials science and engineering.
Key points:
– The material, made of copper, oxygen, barium and antimony atoms, shows a new type of magnetism
– Copper atom spins remain in constant flux, creating a “frustrated” magnet within a solid crystalline lattice
– The discovery represents a new type of magnetism characterized by spin and orbital quantum fluctuations
– The findings could lead to new opportunities in materials science and engineering in the future
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2012/05/nist-contributes-discovery-novel-quantum-spin-liquid
Keywords: Quantum Fluid, Spin Fluctuations, Magnetic Quantum State, Orbital Quantum Fluctuations, Quantum Mechanical State
