Crystal structure and magnetism--new insight into the fundamentals of solid state physics

A team at HZB has carried out the first detailed study of how magnetic and geometric ordering mutually influence one another in crystalline samples of spinel. To achieve this, the group synthesized a series of mixed crystals with the chemical formula Ni1-xCuxCr2O4 in which the element nickel was successively replaced by copper. They discovered through neutron scattering experiments at BER II not only how the crystal structure changes, but also uncovered new magnetic phases. The results were publ...