Researchers Unveil Magnetic Phase Diagram of Unique Quasicrystal

The breakthrough could pave the way for advanced electronic devices and next-generation refrigeration technologies.

Researchers led by Professor Ryuji Tamura from Tokyo University of Science have developed the first comprehensive magnetic phase diagram of a unique quasicrystal variant, known as the Tsai-type icosahedral quasicrystal (iQC) and their cubic approximant crystals (ACs).
The team conducted magnetization and powder neutron diffraction experiments on the non-Heisenberg Tsai-type 1/1 gold-gallium-terbium AC, revealing the presence of a noncoplanar whirling anti-ferromagnetic order at an electron-per-atom ratio of 1.72 and a noncoplanar whirling ferromagnetic order at the ratio of 1.80.
These findings offer important insights into the intricate interplay between magnetic interactions in non-Heisenberg Tsai-type ACs and lay the foundation for understanding the intriguing properties of not only non-Heisenberg ACs but also non-Heisenberg iQCs that are yet to be discovered.
The research propels condensed matter physics and quasicrystal research into uncharted territories, paving the way for advanced electronic devices and next-generation refrigeration technologies.
Quasicrystals such as these are considered potential units for memory storage in future tech, so understanding their magnetic behavior is paramount to actually using them for such devices.