A team of researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of condensed matter physics by identifying a new type of magnetic order known as nematic order in magnetic helices. This potentially monumental finding was released in the open access journal Science Advances, on June 20th, 2025. For one, it might lead to future technologies that manipulate tiny magnetic helices rather than conventional liquid crystals. National resident Zoey Tumbleson, however, is at the vanguard of this exciting and novel research. She’s a National Science Foundation graduate fellow jointly at Berkeley Lab and UC Santa Cruz.
To conduct this study, the research team tapped the extraordinary capabilities of two highly advanced X-ray light sources. To do this, they combined LCLS at SLAC and ALS at Berkeley Lab to explore the unique properties of these magnetic helices. The researchers shot X-rays through these thin films. They focused on understanding the scattering patterns to reveal the structure and orientation of magnetic coils embedded in these structures, and the shape and motion of these coils.
Understanding Nematic Order
Nematic materials are defined by their long molecules that can orient to be aligned along a common direction but maintain an average random spacing. Tumbleson explains the relevance of this alignment, stating, “If we think of these magnetic helices as the objects that are aligning, the magnetism follows expectations for nematic phases.” This explanation emphasizes the connection between magnetic phenomena and the structural features of nematic systems. It certainly lays the groundwork for more complex application in this awesome field.
This discovery opens up a fascinating new realm of understanding about thermodynamic phase transitions related to nematic order in magnetic helices. According to Sujoy Roy, a staff scientist at Berkeley Lab, “Our discovery of a magnetic nematic phase is an example of a new exotic phase in amorphous iron germanide.” This discovery shows the complex phenomena that can develop in magnetic systems. Even until recently scientists didn’t fully understand these behaviors.
Advanced Techniques and Observations
The research team employed unique capabilities offered by the X-ray light sources to observe the motions of magnetic coils across two vastly different timescales. One timescale is extremely fast, a trillion times faster than the other. Because of this, researchers are able to identify certain complex dynamics that past studies were unable to find.
Joshua Turner, also a lead scientist of the SLAC team, emphasizes just how important these observations are. He is principal investigator at the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES). He states, “These measurements at very different timescales combine to provide us with this really interesting picture. It’s mysterious and points to much more occurring here than previously understood.” He notes, “We’re only capturing a narrow sliver of what’s happening,” suggesting that further research will be necessary to fully comprehend these complex phenomena.
Implications for Future Technology
The impact of this finding goes far beyond scholarly interest. It has huge implications for creating novel materials with customized characteristics. Turner suggests that, “If you can control these weird helical nematic states, maybe you could build new materials with on-demand properties.” The potential to harness these exotic phases would transform applications from fast electronic switches to low-power display technologies.
Tumbleson expresses her excitement about the broader implications of their findings: “These phases were not previously known and it’s very exciting to see this generalized to a wider field of study.” As our researchers research deeper into this space, they are looking forward to finding more tastes.