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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Compass-model physics on the hyperhoneycomb lattice in the extreme spin-orbit regime
Ryutaro Okuma1,2, Kylie MacFarquharson3, Roger D Johnson4
1Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford Physics Department, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK. ryutaro.okuma@physics.ox.ac.uk.
Researchers synthesized rare-earth materials for exploring exotic quantum magnetism. They discovered a novel magnetic order in Praseodymium compounds, opening new avenues for quantum compass spin models.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Materials
- Magnetism
Background:
- Exploration of spin-orbit entangled moments in 4d/5d transition metals on honeycomb lattices.
- Challenges in synthesizing rare-earth materials for extreme spin-orbit physics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize and characterize rare-earth compounds for quantum compass spin models.
- Investigate exotic magnetic orders and ground states in the extreme spin-orbit limit.
Main Methods:
- Successful synthesis of powders and single crystals of β-Na2PrO3.
- Characterization of Pr4+ ions with j_eff = 1/2 magnetic moments on a hyperhoneycomb lattice.
Main Results:
- Observation of a strongly non-collinear magnetic order.
- Detection of highly dispersive gapped excitations attributed to frustrated bond-dependent exchanges.
- Experimental realization of a quantum compass spin model in the extreme spin-orbit regime.
Conclusions:
- Rare-earth ions on threefold coordinated lattices provide a platform for exploring quantum compass spin models.
- This work offers a distinct physical system compared to 4d/5d Kitaev materials for studying exotic quantum magnetism.
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