ThePrint PureScience: Breakthrough in rare-earth magnetism promises more efficient quantum technologies
Nov 23, 2025
Discover an exciting breakthrough in magnetism from researchers in Bengaluru. They found that orbital motion, rather than just electron spin, dominates the magnetism in neodymium nitride. This could lead to innovative materials for faster and more energy-efficient quantum technologies. Learn about the challenges ahead, including the need for low temperatures and advanced film growth techniques. With the potential for orbitronics, this discovery might redefine magnetic devices and their applications in the future.
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Orbital-Dominated Magnetism
- Neodymium nitride shows magnetism dominated by electron orbital motion rather than spin.
- This overturns the usual assumption that spins are the primary magnetic source in solids.
Careful Thin-Film Growth Revealed Physics
- The team grew ultra-high-vacuum thin films of neodymium nitride with precise Nd and N control.
- They emphasize that film quality was crucial to reveal the true magnetic physics.
XMCD Reveals Large Orbital Moment
- XMCD measurements separated spin and orbital contributions and found a huge orbital moment (~5.14 μB per Nd).
- The total moment matched density functional theory, confirming orbital dominance experimentally and theoretically.