Scientists have theorized for decades that an additional state of matter exists, but despite tantalizing hints to its presence, details about this mystery state have remained elusive—until now.
A new paper in Nature Materials by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Cambridge details how physicists were finally able to catch a glimpse of the predicted quantum spin liquid, and the strange fermions that accompany it.
So, how did they do it—and just what is quantum spin liquid? Quantum spin liquid is a phase where electrons actually fracture apart—and begin to behave very strangely. As Gizmodo previously reported.
If this doesn’t interest you, no worries; you still matter too!
