Atomic Harmony: Charge-Spin Coupling Achieved in Room-Temperature 2D Ferromagnets
In a groundbreaking development that merges the realms of magnetism and electrical conductivity, researchers from National Taiwan University have experimentally demonstrated a long-theorized quantum phenomenon: atomic-scale synchronization of charge and spin states in a room-temperature two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic material. Their study, published in Nature Communications , focuses on a layered material known as Fe 5 GeTe 2 , which maintains ferromagnetic ordering even at ambient conditions. What sets this material apart is its ability to host coexisting and coupled quantum states : charge density waves (CDWs), the Kondo effect, and ferromagnetism—interacting not in isolation, but in a coherent, synchronized pattern. Cracking the Quantum Code of Multifunctionality Most known materials demonstrate charge transport and magnetic ordering as independent properties. In contrast, Fe 5 GeTe 2 is exceptional. Here, iron atoms carry electrons that simultaneously contribute t...