#ferromagnetic

Cobalt honeycombs open a new path to quantum computing

Honeycombs are famous for their elegant design, but now they may have found a new application: quantum computing. To collect knowledge from subatomic particles, quantum computers require carefully designed materials capable of performing necessary, complex functions. However, the metals used, such as ruthenium and iridium, are often rare and expensive, limiting the potential to build new technology. Building honeycombs for quantum tech In an article recently published in Physical Review Materials, researchers from SANKEN at The University of Osaka and collaborating institutions reported the creation of a special thin-film material in which cobalt atoms formed local honeycomb arrangements embedded inside a larger honeycomb matrix. These cobalt honeycomb motifs exhibit strong magnetic interactions, which are important for quantum computing applications.

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Oscillating Magnetoresistance

At low temperatures the resistance of a layered magnetic semiconductor shoots up and down in response to an increasing magnetic field. [...] People who design electronic devices would love a semiconductor that responds not just to an applied electric field but also to a magnetic field. So-called van der Waals magnets appear promising. These semiconductors consist of stacks of weakly bound 2D magnetic layers of alternating, or antiferromagnetic, polarity. However, their conduction bands tend to be so narrow that the crowded electrons struggle to move; they are not good semiconductors. An exception was identified in 2023 by Alberto Morpurgo of the University of Geneva and his collaborators, who found that the van der Waals magnet CrPS4 has unusually wide bands and a large magnetic dependence in the material’s resistance [1]. Morpurgo and his team have now explored this magnetoresistance further. They discovered that under certain conditions the magnetoresistance oscillates—that is, it goes up and down as the applied magnetic field increases [2]. This unexpected oscillatory behavior, the researchers say, illustrates the need to better understand the nature of transport through van der Waals magnets.

Researchers find high magnetic field facilitates novel intrinsic ferromagnetic polar metals

Researchers have designed a novel oxide material, Ca3Co3O8, through atomic precision manipulation of correlated oxides. It demonstrated a remarkable combination of properties—ferromagnetism, polar distortion and metallicity, which shines a spotlight on polar metals and sparks significant scientific interest. This achievement was published in Nature Materials. The collaboration included Prof. Sheng Zhigao from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Professor Yu Pu's team from Tsinghua University, and users of the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) at HFIPS. In traditional understanding, electric polarization and magnetic order in materials were seen as mutually exclusive. However, the concept of polar metals was proposed, suggesting that these materials could exhibit both electric polarization and metallic properties simultaneously.

Ultrafast laser pulses could lessen data storage energy needs

A discovery from an experiment with magnets and lasers could be a boon to energy-efficient data storage. "We wanted to study the physics of light-magnet interaction," said Rahul Jangid, who led the data analysis for the project while earning his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at UC Davis under associate professor Roopali Kukreja. "What happens when you hit a magnetic domain with very short pulses of laser light?" Domains are areas within a magnet that flip from north to south poles. This property is used for data storage, for example in computer hard drives. Jangid and his colleagues found that when a magnet is hit with a pulsed laser, the domain walls in the ferromagnetic layers move at a speed of approximately 66 km/s, which is about 100 times faster than the speed limit previously thought.