The PSI Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences uses neutrons and muons to explore and understand matter and materials.
Lab News & Scientific Highlights
Pressure-enhanced splitting of density wave transitions in La3Ni2O7–δ
The observation of superconductivity in La3Ni2O7–δ under pressure, following the suppression of a high-temperature density wave state, has attracted considerable attention. The nature of this density wave order was not clearly identified. Here we probe the magnetic response of the zero-pressure phase of La3Ni2O7–δ as hydrostatic pressure is applied, and find that the apparent single density wave transition at zero applied pressure splits into two. The comparison of our muon-spin rotation ...
Outstanding Paper Award
A recent paper by the "Applied Materials Group" of the LNS and their coworkers received the "Outstanding Paper Award" of the journal "Materials and Structures".
Spin-orbit control of antiferromagnetic domains without a Zeeman coupling
Encoding information in antiferromagnetic (AFM) domains is a promising solution for the ever growing demand in magnetic storage capacity. The absence of a macroscopic magnetization avoids crosstalk between different domain states, enabling ultrahigh density spintronics while being detrimental to the domain detection and manipulation. Disentangling these merits and disadvantages seemed so far unattainable. We report evidence ...
Anisotropic Skyrmion and Multi-q Spin Dynamics in Centrosymmetric Gd2PdSi3
Skyrmions are particlelike vortices of magnetization with nontrivial topology, which are usually stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI) in noncentrosymmetric bulk materials. Exceptions are centrosymmetric Gd- and Eu-based skyrmion-lattice (SL) hosts with zero DMI, where both the SL stabilization mechanisms and magnetic ground states remain controversial. We address these here by investigating both the static and dynamical spin properties ...
Concurrent Operando Neutron Imaging and Diffraction Analysis Revealing Spatial Lithiation Phase Evolution in an Ultra-Thick Graphite Electrode
Energy-efficient, safe, and reliable Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are required for a wide range of applications. The introduction of ultra-thick graphite anodes, desired for high energy densities, meets limitations in internal electrode transport properties, leading to detrimental consequences. Yet, there is a lack of experimental tools capable of providing a complete view of local processes. Here, a multi-modal operando measurement approach is introduced, enabling quantitative spatio-temporal observations of Li concentrations and intercalation phases in ultra-thick graphite electrodes.
Neutron imaging and diffraction concurrently provide ...
YBa1−𝑥Sr𝑥CuFeO5 layered perovskites: An attempt to explore the magnetic order beyond the paramagnetic-collinear-spiral triple point
Layered perovskites of general formula AA'CuFeO5 are characterized by the presence of spiral magnetic phases whose ordering temperatures 𝑇spiral can be tuned far beyond room temperature by introducing modest amounts of Cu/Fe chemical disorder in the crystal structure. This rare property makes these materials prominent candidates to host multiferroicity and magnetoelectric coupling at temperatures suitable for applications. Moreover, it has been proposed that the highest 𝑇spiral value that can be reached in this structural family ( ∼400 K) corresponds to a paramagnetic-collinear-spiral triple point with potential to show exotic physics. Since generating high amounts of Cu/Fe disorder is experimentally difficult, the phase diagram region beyond the triple point has been barely explored. To fill this gap we investigate here eleven YBa1−𝑥Sr𝑥CuFeO5 solid solutions (0≤𝑥≤1 ), where we replace Ba with Sr with the aim of enhancing the impact of the experimentally available Cu/Fe disorder. Using a combination of bulk magnetization measurements, synchrotron x-ray and neutron powder diffraction we show that the spiral state with 𝐤𝑠=(1/2,1/2,1/2±𝑞) is destabilized beyond a critical Sr content, being replaced by a fully antiferromagnetic state with ordering temperature 𝑇coll2≥𝑇spiral and propagation vector 𝐤𝑐2=(1/2,1/2,0). Interestingly, both 𝑇spiral and 𝑇coll2 increase with 𝑥 with comparable rates. This suggests a common, disorder-driven origin for both magnetic phases, consistent with theoretical predictions.
Our Facilities
Recent CNM publications
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A. A, Kalal S, Saravanan K, Ojha S, Stahn J, Gupta M
Study of structural and magnetic properties of Pd-doped Co4N thin films
Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism. 2025; 38(1): 17 (7 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-024-06880-w
DORA PSI -
Agarwal M, Zika A, Yücel M, Schweins R, Kohlbrecher J, Gröhn F
The role of light irradiation and dendrimer generation in directing electrostatic self-assembly
Polymers. 2025; 17(2): 170 (27 pp.). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17020170
DORA PSI -
Arshad MS, Čoga L, Kovač J, Geue T, Cruz SMA, Kalin M
Understanding the role of tungsten species in diamond-like carbon coatings for enhanced interaction with ionic liquids
Tribology International. 2025; 201: 110220 (11 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2024.110220
DORA PSI