Quantum spin liquid: physicists have discovered a new state of matter.

Physicists claim to have found evidence for the existence of a new state of matter that was theoretically predicted back in the 1970s. This state is known as quantum spin liquid. This quantum phenomenon was discovered in a material called pyrochlore cerium tantalate. The research has been published in the journal Nature Physics, reports Interesting Engineering.

Quantum spin liquid is one of the magnetic states of matter. This quantum phenomenon results from the "liquid" behavior of spins (intrinsic angular momenta) of elementary particles at very low temperatures. In a quantum spin liquid, particles do not arrange themselves in a fixed order.

As the theory predicts, the spins of particles can remain in constantly changing, interrelated states that behave strangely, similar to states in quantum mechanics. Quantum spin liquid has properties that mimic the interaction of light and particles in the universe. However, proving this theory and actually discovering the existence of this state of matter has been very challenging until now. But physicists have managed to accomplish this.

According to quantum mechanics, electrons have spin, meaning they behave like tiny bar magnets. When electrons interact, their spins align in the same or opposite direction. However, two types of alignment can be disrupted in certain materials, such as pyrochlores.

This is referred to as magnetic frustration and can lead to conditions where interesting quantum phenomena are found. This includes the potential discovery of quantum spin liquid, physicists say. Although the term "liquid" is used in the name, this phenomenon can manifest in various states of matter, including solids.

Electrons can form a quantum-mechanical superposition, leading to a liquid-like connection between the spins of electrons, as if the spins were immersed in a liquid. At the quantum level, electrons interact with one another, emitting and absorbing photons, which are particles of light.

Scientists utilized neutron scattering methods to observe the material known as pyrochlore cerium tantalate and gathered data that helped confirm the existence of quantum spin liquid.

This achievement lays the groundwork for further discoveries in fundamental and quantum physics. It may also deepen our understanding of the universe and how matter behaves at the smallest scales.