A team led by researchers from the Quantum Science Center at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed the existence of quantum spin liquid (QSL) behaviour in a new material, KYbSe2. QSLs, a unique state of matter, are controlled by interactions among entangled magnetic atoms and are effective at stabilising quantum mechanical activity. The Quantum Advances could be potentially useful in the burgeoning field of Quantum Computing.
This discovery could contribute to the development of high-quality superconductors and quantum computing components. The team used a combination of theoretical, experimental and computational techniques to observe the QSLs, overcoming previous limitations of physical experiments.
Quantum Spin Liquid Confirmed in New Material
In 1973, physicist Phil Anderson proposed the existence of a state known as the quantum spin liquid (QSL) on certain triangular lattices. However, he lacked the necessary tools to explore this further. Now, half a century later, a team of researchers associated with the Quantum Science Center at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed the presence of QSL behaviour in a new material, KYbSe2.
QSLs are an unusual state of matter controlled by interactions among entangled magnetic atoms called spins. These interactions are particularly effective at stabilizing quantum mechanical activity in KYbSe2 and other similar materials, known as delafossites. These materials are valued for their layered triangular lattices and promising properties that could contribute to the development of high-quality superconductors and quantum computing components.
The Study and Its Findings
The study, published in Nature Physics, involved researchers from various institutions including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and several universities. The team studied the triangular lattice of various materials in search of QSL behaviour. They found that the new material, KYbSe2, was particularly suitable for this research as its properties could be easily modified without altering its structure.
Using a combination of theoretical, experimental, and computational techniques, the team observed multiple hallmarks of QSLs: quantum entanglement, exotic quasiparticles, and the right balance of exchange interactions, which control how a spin influences its neighbors. Modern neutron scattering instruments, which can produce accurate measurements of complex materials at the atomic level, were instrumental in identifying these features.
The Role of Neutron Scattering Instruments
The team examined KYbSe2’s spin dynamics with the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source, a Department of Energy Office of Science user facility. They compared the results to trusted theoretical models and found evidence that the material was close to the quantum critical point at which QSL characteristics thrive. Further analysis of its single-ion magnetic state was conducted with the facility’s Wide-Angular-Range Chopper Spectrometer.
This research represents a significant step forward in the understanding of quantum spin liquids and their potential applications in the field of quantum computing. The ability to modify the properties of KYbSe2 without altering its structure makes it an ideal material for further study and potential use in the development of quantum computing components.
“Researchers have studied the triangular lattice of various materials in search of QSL behavior,” said QSC member and lead author Allen Scheie, a staff scientist at Los Alamos. “One advantage of this one is that we can swap out atoms easily to modify the material’s properties without altering its structure, and this makes it pretty ideal from a scientific perspective.”
Summary
Researchers have confirmed the existence of quantum spin liquid (QSL) behaviour in a new material, KYbSe2, which could contribute to the development of high-quality superconductors and quantum computing components. Using advanced techniques and instruments, they found evidence that this material is close to the quantum critical point where QSL characteristics thrive, offering potential for modifying its properties without altering its structure.
- A team of researchers associated with the Quantum Science Center at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed the existence of quantum spin liquid (QSL) behaviour in a new material, KYbSe2.
- QSLs are an unusual state of matter controlled by interactions among entangled magnetic atoms called spins. They are effective at stabilising quantum mechanical activity in KYbSe2 and other delafossites, materials known for their layered triangular lattices.
- These materials could contribute to the development of high-quality superconductors and quantum computing components.
- The research team includes scientists from various institutions including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and several universities.
- The team used a combination of theoretical, experimental, and computational techniques to observe key features of QSLs.
- They examined KYbSe2’s spin dynamics with the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source and found evidence that the material was close to the quantum critical point at which QSL characteristics thrive.
