By cooling an atom-thin magnetic material, physicists have experimentally confirmed a classic 1970s model of two-dimensional magnetism.
Bizarre things happen when materials are thinned from bulk crystals down to layers just one atom thick. In a study published in Nature Materials, physicists at The University of Texas at Austin reported that they have observed a series of unusual magnetic states in an ultrathin material.
Their experiments provide the first complete demonstration of a theoretical model of two-dimensional magnetism that was introduced in the 1970s. According to the team, the findings could help guide the development of future ultracompact technologies.
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