Phys.org March 27, 2018
Extensive research has shown that at interfaces between two materials, the remarkable properties of quantum materials can be strongly enhanced, or entirely new functional properties may arise. An international team of researchers (USA – Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, NIST, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UK, Germany) has demonstrated that in certain metals, the competition between various interactions may be resolved by the spontaneous formation of a state in which the electronic and magnetic properties alternate periodically. The spontaneously self-assembling interfaces are intrinsically clean, and relevant parameters such as the interface thickness can be tuned in-situ via external parameters such as magnetic field or temperature. The discovery could lead to potential revolution in device engineering… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
A graphic of a spontaneously emerging interface in a quantum material is shown. Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory