Post by PSI Paul Scherrer Institut

🔮 👇 This isn't a planet. This is a fuzzy sphere! The fuzzy sphere is a mathematical object that helps physicists explore the fascinating world of quantum magnets. Researchers at PSI Paul Scherrer Institute Arjun Dey and Christopher Mudry used the fuzzy sphere to study what happens when magnets reach a tipping point and lose their magnetic order. At that moment, many of the material's details no longer matter, and simple, universal patterns emerge. Understanding these patterns helps scientists explain why very different materials can sometimes follow the same rules. The fuzzy sphere preserves rotational symmetry while making the problem easier for computers to solve. By analysing the resulting quantum spectrum, the team identified 24 fundamental building blocks of the critical theory and measured how they combine to shape the magnet's behaviour. Their results confirm key predictions for the O(3) Wilson–Fisher theory, a cornerstone model of quantum criticality, and reveal new details about a class of materials known as dimerized antiferromagnets. Original publication: https://lnkd.in/eJh2rA_4 #SciencePics #Quantum #Magnet #ReserachAtPSI