This summer, Yishu Wang received an impressive $719,000 research grant from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to delve into the captivating world of magnets with quantum mechanical properties.
Magnetism, which springs from the behavior of electrons in a material, is a phenomenon that captivates both scientists and the public alike. When electrons in a material align and spin in unison, as is the case in metals like iron, the material becomes magnetic, with poles that possess the intriguing ability to attract or repel other magnetic materials.
“Magnets that we are using today can be viewed as static orderings of electrons, analogous to the static pattern of brushstrokes in a painting,” said Wang, a joint assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “However, I and other researchers are investigating correlated magnets, which are defined by the vivid, coherent, and entangled dynamics of their electrons’ spins. These magnets can’t be understood from static patterns; they are more like movies than paintings.”
The electrons in correlated magnets exhibit quantum mechanical interactions that pave the way for unconventional superconductivity, quantum entanglement, and a host of other groundbreaking features. This positions correlated magnets as strong contenders for energy-efficient devices capable of high-speed computation and a wide range of applications. While conventional neutron scattering has been the go-to method for investigating materials at the atomic scale, it falls short when it comes to capturing the full scope of electrons’ spin-spin correlations in novel magnets without static ordering.
Looking ahead, Wang’s DOE funding will drive the development of a groundbreaking new capability in neutron scattering, one that promises to fully capture the dynamic spin behavior in correlated magnets over time.
Notably, the preliminary data used in her grant proposal was meticulously analyzed by UT undergraduate computer science students, underscoring the collaborative and forward-thinking approach driving this exciting research endeavor.
“Working with undergraduate students from diverse academic backgrounds has been one of my greatest joys since becoming a faculty member at UT,” Wang said. “Thanks to their work and this funding, we will be able to capture the dynamic behaviors of correlated magnetic systems with a refreshed perspective, gaining deeper insights into their underlying quantum mechanical interactions.”
Throughout the grant, Wang will collaborate with colleagues at both UT and the Neutron Science Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to advance the synthesis of correlated magnetic materials. Together, they will develop cutting-edge instrumentation, conduct insightful experiments, and analyze experimental data with precision.
Wang’s innovative instruments and methods will be a valuable asset to ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), ensuring opportunities for future groundbreaking studies.
“This research is particularly valuable to the quantum science community,” Wang said, “but the development of neutron scattering with time resolution will benefit a range of scientific communities and help secure the SNS as the world’s premier innovation center for neutron science.”
