Philip Merchant, Assistant at Boult Wade Tennant, was part of an international team researching the fundamental properties of magnetic materials. The group, comprising renowned academic institutes including: London Centre for Nanotechnology, Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University College London and prominent departments in China, Switzerland and France, have recently published their findings in Nature Physics.
Certain types of magnetic materials may hold great promise for new, exciting technological applications, including quantum computation and digital storage media. However, because their behaviour is governed by the rules of quantum mechanics, the underlying physical principles of these types of magnetic materials can be very difficult to understand. The published study provides firm steps toward developing this understanding, through investigation of the interplay between quantum and classical physics within a model magnetic system. As a result, the team were able to uncover clues toward the more complete understanding of complex magnetic phases that can, in turn, hold great promise for future technological innovation.
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