How magnetic dimers interact to create long-range order
Monday, October 13, 2014 - 08:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers carrying out experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Photon Source (APS) and Spallation Neutron Source have shed new light on how magnetic long-range order forms and remains stable despite the presence of disruptive quantum fluctuations. Since the material under study, SrCu2(BO3)2 (SCBO), bears important similarities to layered Cu-O compounds that exhibit high-temperature superconductivity, the research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, may provide insights into this form of quantum magnets as well, which has eluded thorough understanding for nearly 30 years.