These beautiful examples of stained glass art appear to be solid, although in fact they are very gradually flowing like liquids but too slowly to be detected over times as short as our lifetimes. They remind us that all materials have dynamics if we look on the right time scales. Reducing temperature generally makes matter more ordered and unchanging. However, in quantum matter, fluctuations can be so strong and rapid that even at zero temperature they overwhelm any tendency towards order. Because only quantum dynamics can survive at zero temperature, these materials are called quantum liquids, and their dynamics both destroy and enable new types of phase transformations- some ordered and some not.
We focus on quantum magnetic liquids, synthesizing new magnetic materials where this extreme quantum behavior can be explored experimentally, where transitions among phases are controlled by the spatial arrangements of atoms and their moments, and as well as the overall topology of the lattices they are arranged on. Neutron scattering allows us to track both the spatial arrangements of the magnetic moments, and how they change over time. Understanding the interplay between the magnetic moments, their origin and structures, and the unusual thermodynamics that control phase stability at zero temperature is gained from from specific heat and magnetization measurements, carried out in our laboratory.
We are always looking for enthusiastic and interested people to join our research group. Please contact Prof. Meigan Aronson at meigan.aronson@ubc.ca