Researchers have discovered a novel material, nickel gallium sulfide (NiGa2S4), that may demonstrate a highly unusual “liquid” magnetic state at extremely low temperatures. The material was synthesized by scientists at Kyoto University and its properties were studied by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The team found that the triangular arrangement of the material’s atoms prevents alignment of magnetic “spins,” leading to a disordered, fluid-like arrangement of spins that does not produce an overall magnetic force. This “liquid” magnetic state was first proposed as theoretically possible about 30 years ago.
The discovery may be related to the similarly fluid way that electrons flow without resistance in superconducting materials. The researchers conducted their neutron experiments using a unique instrument called a “disk chopper spectrometer” at NIST’s Center for Neutron Research. The wavelength of the slowed-down (cold) neutrons available at the NIST facility allowed the researchers to study nanoscale magnetic properties too small to be measured with other methods.
Keywords: Neutrons, Magnetic Spins, Nanoscale Properties, Electron Fluctuations, Quantum Fluid
