Physicists study complex magnetism in a rare earth compound

Physicists study complex magnetism in a rare earth compound

6 years ago
Anonymous $oIHRkISgaL

https://phys.org/news/2018-07-physicists-complex-magnetism-rare-earth.html

Recent studies have focused on the physics of CDW in rare earth compounds and how this wave influences crystal lattice distortions and magnetic ordering. Magnetic ordering implies a spontaneous alignment of vectors of atomic magnetic moments in a substance. These vectors located at atom positions can point either parallel (ferromagnetic order) or anti-parallel (anti-ferromagnetic order) to each other. A few years ago, scientists discovered that a CDW can precede and co-exist with the anti-ferromagnetic order.

When the temperature is lowered, CDW appears in the dysprosium germanide, followed by a transition to an anti-ferromagnetic order at still lower temperature.