Scientists predict the existence of a new kind of spin liquid
Thursday, July 14, 2016 - 06:31
in Physics & Chemistry
A team of physicists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) has predicted the existence of a new kind of spin liquid. A spin liquid is an exotic phenomenon that intrigues scientists: it is a magnetic material in which the magnetism of the atoms fluctuates continuously between different directions. Their theoretical discovery found confirmation through computer simulation. Notably, this mathematical description of a spin liquid shares important similarities with a gauge symmetry, which is a key element in the way physics describes the world. The researchers, all from OIST Theory of Quantum Matter Unit, published their results in Nature Communications.