Until now, scientists were only aware of the presence of insulators exhibiting one-dimensional magnetism. However, a team of researchers has observed unique one-dimensional magnetism in Ti₄MnBi₂.
“We proved the existence of a new class of quantum materials that are both metallic and one-dimensional magnets, with strong coupling between the magnetic moments and their metallic host,” Meigan Aronson, one of the researchers and a professor at Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (UBC Blusson QMI), said
These findings also provide evidence of a phase space—a concept used in physics to describe all the possible states of a system. It’s like a map where every point represents a unique combination of the system’s variables, such as position and momentum.
Ti₄MnBi₂ is only the second known metallic material with proven one-dimensional magnetism (the other is called Yb₂Pt₂Pb). It’s also the first material where the magnetism is found strongly connected to its metallic nature, making it truly unique.
The study authors studied spin chains in Ti₄MnBi₂. Spin chains are like a series of tiny magnets arranged such that they can easily influence one another. They used neutron scattering, along with advanced computer simulations, and found that Ti₄MnBi₂ is a rare material that matches a special kind of model.
When it comes to 3D materials, they form ordered structures at low temperatures. However, systems like Ti₄MnBi₂ are dominated by quantum fluctuations, so they don’t settle into a fixed structure.
In the special model, the spins in Ti₄MnBi₂ don’t settle into simple patterns as their interactions are “frustrated”—they compete in a way that prevents easy alignment. This creates complex magnetic states that only exist at absolute zero temperature, and confirmed one-dimensional magnetism in a metallic compound.
“By proving that this middle ground exists, Ti₄MnBi₂ presents an important step towards establishing a broad quantum landscape ripe for exploration. It is possible that the excellent correspondence between experiment and computational theory that we have demonstrated might serve as a benchmark for quantum simulations,“ Aronson explained.
A door to new quantum possibilities
The results from the study can have not just one but many wide-scale implications. For instance, the neutron scattering data may help compare real-world results with different theoretical models of quantum entanglement, a key concept in quantum technologies.
Plus, materials like Ti₄MnBi₂ could enable faster and more efficient memory devices as they could lead to advancements in spintronics, a technology that harnesses electron spins to process data.
“Our work represents an ideal testbed for quantum advantage demonstrations within the context of quantum analog simulation. It also offers insights that could be useful for the development of unique magnetic memories with high density and speed,” Alberto Nocera, one of the study authors and a scientist at UBC Blusson QMI, said.
The researchers have already produced 100 batches of Ti₄MnBi₂ crystals, and 400 more are in the pipeline. They will be used in further experiments.
The study is published in the journal Nature Materials.