Discovery of copper-based oxide magnets that host a quantum liquid robust against disorder
Formation of energy gap in the spin liquid state (Top left).Short-range honeycomb-based lattice( Bottom left).Spin-orbital quantum state in the honeycomb-based lattice(Right). © Hiroshi Sawa and Satoru Nakatsuji
Quantum liquids demonstrating superconductivity have attracted much interest both because of their significance for basic science and their potential applications. To date, quantum liquid states in magnets were believed to be fragile against disorder. Here, Professor Nakatsuji’s group at the Institute for Solid State Physics, the University of Tokyo has found, in collaboration with nine other research institutes worldwide, an emergent quantum state of matter that arises based on cooperative phenomena between spin and orbital degrees of freedom in a copper oxide-based magnet. This appears to be a quantum liquid state that is robust against disorder and provides a new avenue for research in materials science and engineering. This work is based on collaboration with Nagoya University, Osaka University, University of California, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of the Ryukyus, Institut Teknologi Bandung, NIST Center for Neutron Research, University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University.
Press release (NIST)
Paper
S. Nakatsuji, K. Kuga, K. Kimura, R. Satake, N. Katayama, E. Nishibori, H. Sawa, R. Ishii, M. Hagiwara, F. Bridges, T. U. Ito, W. Higemoto, Y. Karaki, M. Halim, A. A. Nugroho, J. A. Rodriguez-Rivera, M. A. Green, C. Broholm,
“Spin-orbital short range order on a honeycomb based lattice”,
Science doi: 10.1126/science.1212154.
Article link
Links
Institute for Solid State Physics
Nakatsuji Laboratory, University of Tokyo
Sawa Laboratory, Nagoya University (Japanese)
