Revealing Hidden Magnetic Order: From Nanometric Modulations in Neodymium to 3D Tomography of Spin Textures
Dr. Lisa Debeer-Schmitt
Oak Ridge National Lab
Magnetic systems often conceal their complexity in signatures that are convoluted or invisible to conventional probes, requiring new approaches to resolve the underlying order. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) provides a powerful way to uncover such hidden structures, probing collective correlations from nanometers to microns in the bulk. In this seminar, I will first discuss recent results on elemental neodymium, where SANS revealed nanometric modulations and multi-𝑄 phases that had remained unresolved in spite of prior surface-sensitive measurements. These findings highlight the interplay of localized f-electrons and conduction electrons in stabilizing unconventional magnetic order. I will then turn to new developments in magnetic tomography, where we are extending SANS into three dimensions to visualize spin textures directly, enabling new insights for complex noncollinear systems such as those found in Nd. Together, these studies illustrate not only how SANS resolves fundamental questions in quantum materials but also how advances in methodology are expanding its reach, connecting communities studying magnetism, superconductivity, and topological textures.
Hosted by Prof. Ghimire