Nothing quite like the announcement this week from U.S. government scientists. What they found is a third phase of matter, which they named “half ice, half fire,” that brings together contrasting electron spins in an exotic magnetic material. Brookhaven National Laboratory physicists Ying and Tsvelik are behind foundational research that provides a foundation for that cutting-edge studies. Their main interest is a particular kind of ferrimagnet, Sr3CuIrO6. These surprising results were published in the journal Physical Review Letters over a year later in December 2024. Indeed, they may pave the way for dramatic breakthroughs in areas like quantum computing and energy-efficient refrigeration technology.
This extraordinary finding comes from experiments led by Yin and Tsvelik, along with their former intern Christopher Roth. The team initially detected the fascinating characteristics of “half ice, half fire” back in 2016. This resonant state represents a beautiful competition between hot and cold spins. These spins at the material’s Cu and Ir sites, respectively, each play a role in producing its unique attributes.
The Characteristics of Half Ice, Half Fire
In “half ice, half fire,” the intricate interactions between electron spins display remarkable topological properties. In very well-defined and controlled ways, the copper sites flex their hot spins to form miniature magnetic fields. By contrast, the iridium sites have hot spins with bigger magnetic excursions. Collectively, this mixture of competing rotations and attractions forms a subtle equilibrium that characterizes the new phase.
As seen from the above discontinuities, Yin and Tsvelik managed to induce the “half ice, half fire” state. They did this by exerting an external magnetic field on Sr 3 CuIrO 6. This ferrimagnet features a peculiar crystal structure comprised of strontium, copper, iridium, and oxygen. These phenomena are essential for the dynamic geologic forces to give rise to this new human-geologic phase. Researchers believe that the ability to switch sharply between these phases at reasonable temperatures is particularly significant for practical applications.
Implications for Technology
The discoveries behind the meaning of “half ice, half fire” have implications that stretch well beyond the realm of exotic theoretical physics. The ultrasharp phase switching characteristic of this new state could enable more precise and efficient refrigeration technologies. As Yin observed, “Fixing those problems has the potential to unlock huge leaps in performance of exciting technologies such as quantum computing and spintronics.”
This finding creates exciting opportunities for investigators hoping to push the study of rich magnetic materials even farther. The experimental second act has been testing various layouts of “updownhalf ice, half fire.” This points to a lot of unexplored watershed still left to tread in this area of research.
Future Research Directions
The team’s research represents a breakthrough moment in the study of magnetic materials and topological phases of matter. With the successful observation and characterization of “half ice, half fire,” physicists are now poised to deepen their understanding of electron spins and their potential applications.
Yin was cautiously optimistic about the research’s future. His audacious claim was that “The door to new possibilities is now wide open.” We could hardly think of a better place for the first transcontinental discovery of its kind. It challenges scientists to think about how these special phases might be employed to drive technological innovation.
