New 'Half-Ice, Half-Fire' Phase of Matter Found Lurking in a Magnet

New 'Half-Ice, Half-Fire' Phase of Matter Found Lurking in a Magnet

An exotic state of matter has been found lurking within a previous exotic state which had discovered in a magnetic compound last decade.In 2016, physicists Weiguo Yin, Christopher Roth, and Alexei Tsvelik of Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US identified what they referred to as a "half-fire, half-ice" phase of spin-states in Sr3CuIrO6, a mix of strontium, copper, iridium, and oxygen. Now, they have found the opposite: a half-ice, half-…

Scientists discover strange new phase of matter: Half ice, half fire

Physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered a brand-new phase of matter in a magnetic material. This unusual state, which they call “half ice, half fire,” has never been seen before. The name comes from what’s happening at the atomic level: in this new phase, some of the electron spins—tiny […] The post Scientists discover strange new phase of matter: Half ice, half fire appeared first on Knowridg…