Researchers discover new quantum state at semimetal–spin ice interface
A Rutgers-led team found a previously unknown quantum state, described as a quantum liquid crystal, at the heterointerface between the Weyl semimetal Eu2Ir2O7 and the spin ice Dy2Ti2O7. The effect appeared only at ultra-low temperatures and in very strong magnetic fields and produced directional electronic anisotropy: a sixfold conductivity pattern at intermediate fields that shifted to a twofold pattern at higher fields. The team links these changes to Kondo coupling and altered scattering of Fermi-arc states at the interface. The result highlights heterointerfaces as independent platforms for novel quantum phases and potential quantum sensor research.
A quantum liquid crystal emerged at a Weyl semimetal–spin ice interface.
Context
Researchers previously developed a method to build atom-thin heterostructures over four years. They then tested these structures at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory under extreme conditions. Next steps could include further…
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