Abstract
A quantum magnetic state due to magnetic charges is never observed, even though they are treated as quantum mechanical variables in theoretical calculations. Here, the occurrence of a novel quantum disordered state of magnetic charges in a nanoengineered magnetic honeycomb lattice of ultra-small connecting elements is demonstrated. The experimental research, performed using spin resolved neutron scattering, reveals a massively degenerate ground state, comprised of low integer and energetically forbidden high integer magnetic charges, that manifests cooperative paramagnetism at low temperature. The system tends to preserve the degenerate configuration even under large magnetic field application. It exemplifies the robustness of disordered correlation of magnetic charges in a 2D honeycomb lattice. The realization of quantum disordered ground state elucidates the dominance of exchange energy, which is enabled due to the nanoscopic magnetic element size in nanoengineered honeycomb. Consequently, an archetypal platform is envisaged to study quantum mechanical phenomena due to emergent magnetic charges.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2004103 |
| Journal | Advanced Science |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 17 2021 |
Funding
The authors thank Artur Glavic, S. K. Kim, and Giovanni Vignale for helpful discussion. The research at MU is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Grant No. DE‐SC0014461. A portion of this research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Keywords
- artificial magnetic honeycomb lattices
- degenerate states
- geometric frustration
- magnetic charges
- neutron reflectometry measurements