Quantum Materials Lab at NJIT

Chiral Magnets: Chiral magnets are materials in which the handedness of the crystal lattice plays a key role in determining magnetic behavior. In these systems, both spin moments and spin dynamics can couple to lattice chirality, leading to unusual magnetic order and dynamical responses. Such spin–lattice chiral coupling provides a new route to explore quantum effects and functional magnetic phenomena.

Altermagnets: Altermagnets are a newly identified class of magnetic materials that combine antiferromagnetic order with spin-split electronic bands. Although their net magnetization vanishes, the alternating spin polarization gives rise to unique electronic and transport properties, opening new opportunities for spintronics without stray magnetic fields.

Neutron Scattering: Because neutrons carry spins and are sensitive to magnetic moments, neutron scattering is a powerful experimental technique used to investigate exotic magnetic structures and spin-wave excitations in chiral magnets and altermagnets at the atomic scale, providing crucial insight into the fundamental properties of quantum materials.

Polar Phonons: Neutron scattering provides a powerful tool to directly probe the phonon band structure of ferroelectric materials. For example, in ferroelectric HfO2, phonon measurements reveal lattice instabilities and soft modes that are closely linked to the emergence and stabilization of electric polarization. Understanding these phonon dynamics is essential for uncovering the microscopic mechanisms of ferroelectricity.