Speaker
Description
Interacting electrons in quantum materials can give rise to new emergent properties that may be harnessed in future quantum technologies. One example is the quantum spin liquid, an elusive state of matter that can host fractionalized excitations with potential applications in quantum computing. Neutron and X-ray scattering play an essential role in probing such excitations in quantum materials. In particular, a spectroscopy technique called Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) has proven crucial for studying magnetic properties in materials with strong spin–orbit coupling, such as iridates and ruthenates. These materials have attracted significant interest because they can host bond-dependent magnetic interactions, known as Kitaev interactions, which are a key ingredient for realizing a Kitaev quantum spin liquid. Among candidate materials, alpha-RuCl3 is considered especially promising. In this talk, I will discuss our investigation of its magnetic, electronic, and structural properties using X-ray and neutron scattering techniques.