Excerpt from thewestsidestory.net
A scientific study carried out in Princeton has brought about the
discovery of unlikely properties in materials called frustrated magnets
using the Hall Effect.
Hall Effect is the property of magnetic fields having influence over
electric currents. When a current is exposed to a magnetic field, it
tends to deflect to one side.
The study used this effect to identify whether frustrated magnets can
influence such properties. Hall Effect has a few practical applications
in real life situations. Automobile breaking sensors and sensors in pc
printers are developed based on this phenomenon.
Frustrated magnets on the other hand are said to lose their magnetic
properties at low temperatures. Initially, scientists did not think that
it would be possible for Hall Effect to occur in neutral particles.
Some scientists did however believe that it would probably be possible
for frustrated materials to maintain the Hall Effect even below
extremely cold conditions of nearly absolute zero. The idea sparked a
lot of interest in the science community. If the latter turned out to be
true, it would probably lead to new possibilities through innovation.
The controversial discussion had to be settled once and for all in
the old fashioned way. Scientific experimentation. The study was carried
out by a group made up of students and Professors. The team was formed
by Robert Cava, Russell Wellman, Max Hirschberger, Jason Krizan and Ong.
Their study was focused on a group of magnets called pyrochlores.
The aim of the study was to discover the influence of the Hall Effect
at different temperatures. The results of the pyrochlores experiment
concluded that the spins seemed to point at random directions. According
to Ong, there was no alignment due to geometric frustration.
The experiment failed to prove the influence on neutral particles.
However, future studies and well-orchestrated experiments are expected
to show positive results in the future.
Future research is also expected to reveal more about semiconductors
in high temperatures as well as other practical applications.
Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AscensionEarth2012/~3/99Tox1Bn7wo/science-of-frustrated-magnets-hall.html
Science of frustrated magnets: Hall Effect experiment reveals clues to their discontent
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