Rice University researchers find chiral phonons in crystals can magnetize materials and align electron spins similar to magnetic fields, challenging physics concepts and opening doors for quantum material research.
Research at Rice University explores chiral phonons for quantum effects, which are key to the future of ultra-fast and energy-efficient information systems. In solids, the exotic quantum properties of electrons often get drowned out by the sheer number of atoms.
Rice University’s quantum materials lab found that when atoms move in circles within a rare earth crystal, they turn the crystal into a magnet. When exposed to ultrafast pulses of light, the atoms of cerium fluoride collect electrons’ spins and align them with their rotation, creating magnetization. This effect lasts well beyond the duration of the light pulse and reveals that collective chiral atomic motion can break time-reversal symmetry.
The lab has also shown the interactions between spins and atomic motion, called spin-phonon coupling, and how chiral phonons can influence material properties. The researchers plan to use these insights to engineer materials that don’t occur in nature. The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Welch Foundation, and the Army Research Office.
Source: scitechdaily.com
