In the new study, researchers describe the properties of a new ruthenium-based material that opens new avenues for exploring these states of matter.

Lead researcher Dr Lucy Clark explains: “This work is a very important step in understanding how we can design new materials that allow us to explore the quantum states of matter. This opens the door to a vast family of materials that have so far been underexplored and could provide important clues about how we can engineer new magnetic properties for use in quantum applications.

Although there are a number of naturally occurring copper minerals and mineral crystal systems in which scientists believe a quantum spin liquid state could exist, these have not been proven due to the additional structural complexities found in nature. The complexity of quantum spin liquids also poses difficulties for theorists, because modeling results in many competing magnetic interactions that are extremely difficult to disentangle, causing disagreement among physicists.

A model produced by theoretical physicist Alexei Kitaev in 2009 was able to demonstrate some fundamental principles of quantum spin liquids, but the magnetic interactions described required an environment that scientists could not produce experimentally without the materials reverting to a state magnetic ordered in a conventional manner. .

This behavior is believed to be related to the densely packed crystal structures of the candidate materials. Because the ions are so tightly packed together that they are able to interact directly with each other, causing them to revert to magnetic order.

Using specialist instruments from the UK’s ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and the Diamond Light Source, the Birmingham-based team was able to show that a new material with a structure-to-structure open can tune the interactions between ruthenium metal ions, thus providing a new route to the Kitaev quantum spin liquid state.

Importantly, the magnetic interactions produced within these more open structures are weaker than they might otherwise be, giving scientists more leeway to adjust their precise behaviors.

“Although this work did not result in a perfect Kitaev material, it demonstrated a useful bridge between theory in this area and experimentation, and opened up new and fruitful areas of research,” added Dr Clark.