Xue Group Publishes in Nature Communications
The Xue Research Group has published their recent work in the journal Nature Communications. The Xue Group is helmed by Professor Ziling (Ben) Xue, whose work includes materials chemistry and the study of magnetism.
Xue’s paper, “Haldane topological spin-1 chains in a planar metal-organic framework” describes his group’s work exploring the magnetic properties of NiBO. NiBO was previously reported as part of a family of two-dimensional metal coordination polymers, also known as MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks) but the possible topological magnetic properties of the material had not been investigated.
Xue’s team used a variety of techniques to examine the material, including variable-temperature powder neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and Monte Carlo simulations of the spin-1 chains found in NiBO. They began testing not knowing what NiBO would reveal but the results of their work showed the material fell into a particular category of magnetic materials known as Haldane topological solids.
Haldane topological materials possess a specific magnetic characteristic that makes them potentially useful in spintronics (or spin electronics) and quantum computing. Xue’s findings could be relevant to the development of next-generation storage materials and the future of medical detectors.
Xue’s team included recent PhD graduate Pagnareach Tin and current PhD student Michael Jenkins, whose work he described as critical to the success of the project. The team also collaborated with Jie Xing and Rongyin Jin at the University of South Carolina, Nils Caci and Stefan Wessel at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, J. Krzystek at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and Zheng Gai, Cheng Li, Luke Daemen, and Yongqiang Cheng at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Read the full article here.