Quantum material breakthroughs reveal new magnetic and electronic properties

Researchers have achieved breakthroughs in quantum material science involving two distinct phenomena. In one study, scientists successfully induced altermagnetism in ultrathin ruthenium dioxide films. While ruthenium dioxide typically appears nonmagnetic in its bulk form, engineering it into an ultrathin film and applying lattice strain allowed researchers to map electron spin patterns. This discovery, involving Rice University and the Paul Scherrer Institute, suggests new methods for controlling magnetic properties in next-generation electronics and RAM architectures.

In a separate study, researchers observed unusual quantum oscillations in the three-dimensional topological insulator zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe5). Conducted by the University of São Paulo and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the experiments utilized magnetic fields as strong as 60 tesla at temperatures near absolute zero. The findings indicate that topological insulators may support the transport of electron spin in addition to electric charge, expanding the understanding of electron transport in exotic phases of matter.