Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducted an in-depth investigation of the Kagome layered topological material TbMn6Sn6 to understand it and its magnetic characteristics better. These results could impact future technological advancements in quantum computing, magnetic storage media, and high-precision sensors.
The research is discussed in the paper “Low-temperature competing magnetic energy scales in the topological ferrimagnet TbMn6Sn6,” published in Physical Review X.
Kagomes are a type of material whose structure is named after a traditional Japanese basket weaving technique. The weave produces a pattern of hexagons surrounded by triangles and vice-versa. The arrangement of the atoms in Kagome metals reproduces the weaving pattern. This characteristic causes electrons within the material to behave in unique ways.
Solid materials have electronic properties controlled by their electronic band structure characteristics. The band structure is strongly dependent on the geometry of the atomic lattice, and sometimes bands may display special shapes such as cones. These special shapes, called topological features, are responsible for the unique ways electrons behave in these materials. The Kagome structure in particular leads to complex and potentially tunable features in the electronic bands.
Using magnetic atoms to construct the lattice of these materials, such as Mn in TbMn6Sn6, can further help inducing topological features. Rob McQueeney, a scientist at Ames Lab and the project leader, explained that topological materials “have a special property where under the influence of magnetism, you can get currents which flow on the edge of the material, which are dissipationless, which means that the electrons don’t scatter, and they don’t dissipate energy.”
The team set out to better understand the magnetism in TbMn6Sn6 and used calculations and neutron scattering data collected from the Oak Ridge Spallation Neutron Source to conduct their analysis. Simon Riberolles, a postdoc research associate at Ames Lab and project team member, explained the experimental technique the team used. The technique involves a beam of neutron particles which is used to test how rigid the magnetic order is. “The nature and strength of the different magnetic interactions present in the materials can all be mapped out using this technique,” he said.
They discovered that TbMn6Sn6 has competing interactions between the layers, or what is called frustrated magnetism. “So the system has to make a compromise,” McQueeney said, “Usually what that means is that if you poke at it, you can get it to do different things. But what we found out in this material is that even though those competing interactions are there, there are other interactions that are dominant.”
This is the first detailed investigation of the magnetic properties of TbMn6Sn6 to be published. “In research, it’s always exciting when you figure out you understand something new, or you measure something that has not been seen before, or was understood partially or in a different manner,” Riberolles said.
Related: Is The Russian Oil Price Cap Worth It?
McQueeney and Riberolles explained that their findings suggest the material could potentially be adjusted for specific magnetic characteristics, for example by changing the Tb for a different rare earth element, which would change the magnetism of the compound. This fundamental research paves the way for continued advances in Kagome metals discovery.
This is just step one, accomplished. What this research will lead to is likely to apply to a longer list than what is noted above. Electromagnets and electrical windings or wire run round and round something are to create a magnetic field. The basic problem is those wires are long and experience “line loss” as heat. The research has a specialty list, but there are huge numbers of magnets already in use and millions more made every year.
Those magnets make motors go and transformers deliver power to homes and businesses among with an immense list of other applications.
This is important work in energy savings and making more power available for less electrical expense. Let's hope this team’s work accelerates and offers ever more and soon, scaleable results.
By Brian Westenhaus via New Energy and Fuel
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The UK’s New Prime Minister Considers Lifting Fracking Ban
U.S. Pledges $2.7 Billion To Boost Security In Ukraine And Its Neighbors
China's Annual Oil Demand Could Drop For The First Time In 20 Years
Read this article on OilPrice.com
Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden joins 'Influencers with Andy Serwer' to discuss the company’s space business.
Mako Mining Corp. (TSX-V: MKO) (OTCQX: MAKOF) ("Mako" or the "Company") is pleased to report additional results from its recent definition and expansion drilling program at the Las Conchitas area on its wholly-owned San Albino-Murra property. The Las Conchitas area is located immediately south of the San Albino Mine which is currently in commercial production, and north of the historical El Golfo Mine located within the contiguous El Jicaro Concession.
Meta dumps its early-warning team, PlayStation CEO speaks about Microsoft buying ActiBlizz and NVIDIA's next product launch.
Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSXV: BSK) (FSE: MAL2) (OTC: BKUCF) ("Blue Sky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from the third and last tranche of the recently completed reverse circulation ("RC") drilling program at the Ivana Deposit (as announced on April 5, 2022), within its wholly-owned Amarillo Grande Uranium-Vanadium Project ("AGP") in Rio Negro Province, Argentina. This tranche of drilling returned 2,042 samples from 209 holes averaging 9.3m depth that tested areas of lower
(Bloomberg) -- There’s a new indicator that forecasters are using to predict how much rain inland farms like the US Corn Belt will get: Salt.Most Read from BloombergCharles Becomes King as the Face of a Nation ChangesQueen Elizabeth’s Doctors Are Concerned for Her HealthQueen Elizabeth II, Britain’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dies at 96Most-Accurate US Artillery Shell Is Added to Ukraine’s ArmsApple’s iPhone 14 Offers Camera Upgrades, Satellite FeatureBrinier water on the surface of the ocean can
(Bloomberg) -- US officials have agreed on an updated framework for investigating major accidents in the commercial space industry as human tourism and flights hauling hardware into orbit expand rapidly. Most Read from BloombergCharles Becomes King as the Face of a Nation ChangesDouble Rainbow Appears Over Buckingham Palace as Crowd Gathers to Mourn QueenUkraine Army’s Breakthrough in North Threatens Russian GripQueen Elizabeth’s Doctors Are Concerned for Her HealthQueen Elizabeth II, Britain’s
Universal Studios/GettyCall up Brendan Fraser—because we have an ancient mummy mystery on our hands. (Yes, this is Tom Cruise erasure.) A team of researchers used 3D imaging technology to analyze several centuries-old mummies. In the process, they uncovered evidence of their grisly murders.In a new paper published on Friday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, the authors utilized 3D computer tomography (the same CT scan you find in hospitals) to analyze three pre-Columbian South American mummi
STORY: Georgian archaeologists found a 1.8-million-year-old tooth belonging to an early species of humanLocator: Orozmani, GeorgiaExperts say the discovery cements the region as the home of one of the earliest prehistoric human settlements in Europe(Jack Peart, British archaeology student) "The implications, not just for this site, but for Georgia itself and the story of humans leaving Africa 1.8 million years ago, the implications are enormous. It extends human occupation in this area from Dmanisi all the way over to here. It really solidifies Georgia as a really important place for paleoanthropology and the human story in general."The tooth was unearthed near Dmanisi, where human skulls dated to 1.8 million years oldwere found in the late 1990s and early 2000s The Dmanisi finds were the oldest such discovery anywhere in the world outside Africa The oldest Homo fossils date to around 2.8 million years ago and were discovered in modern-day Ethiopia
Companies backed by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson and others have some unusual ideas on how to move stuff around the world faster.
By Nathan Rubbelke - St. Louis Inno editor
‘Artificial sun’ achieves milestone towards near-limitless clean energy.
Rocket Lab's Electron and Neutron rockets, Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane -- could be used for superfast cargo delivery on Earth. The agreements are what’s known as Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), a vehicle to facilitate R&D work between the government and nongovernmental entities like startups and private companies.
NASA is replacing leaky seals in its moon rocket at the pad in hopes of launching it on its first test flight by the end of this month. Managers said Thursday they will conduct another test after the repairs to ensure all hydrogen fuel leaks are plugged. If that test goes well — and if the Space Force extends a flight safety waiver — then NASA could take another stab at launching the 322-foot rocket in late September.
Y Combinator’s latest participants are the second batch to land a $500,00 check as part of the accelerator’s recently refreshed standard deal. With this in mind, this year’s batch provides a glimpse on what a cohort of YC-approved founders are prioritizing amid a downturn, pandemic, high inflation and ongoing war. Below, TechCrunch decided to draw out the biggest moonshots of the batch, with the above factors in mind.
More than three decades after Stacey Lyn Chahorski was reported missing in 1989, investigators finally identified her killer
Axiom said its spacesuits will accommodate a wide range of crew members.
Sigma-Aldrich Co LLC (a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), a leading science and technology company and provider of genome editing research tools, and genOway the leading company in the preclinical research model space, today announced a new structure to their 2018 strategic alliance in the CRISPR/Cas9 field.
New research found an inward spiral of gas and stars may be responsible for the fecundity of a stellar nursery
An unexpected find in an Antarctic fishing expedition has given researchers a new lens into the science of global climate change.
Apple has been an American success story several times over with the Mac, iPod, iPhone and other inventions. But is Apple stock a buy now?