Atomic reconstruction induced by uniaxial stress in MnP.

In condensed matter physics, pressure is frequently used to modify the stability of both electronic states and atomic arrangements. Under isotropic pressure, the intermetallic compound MnP has recently attracted attention for the interplay between pressure-induced superconductivity and complicated magnetic order in the vicinity . By contrast, we use uniaxial stress, a directional type of pressure, to investigate the effect on the magnetism and crystal structure of this compound.

A colossal barocaloric effect induced by the creation of a high-pressure phase.

As a promising environment-friendly alternative to current vapor-compression refrigeration, solid-state refrigeration based on the barocaloric effect has been attracting worldwide attention. Generally, both phases in which a barocaloric effect occurs are present at ambient pressure. Here, instead, we demonstrate that KPF exhibits a colossal barocaloric effect due to the creation of a high-pressure rhombohedral phase.

Gapless spin liquid in a square-kagome lattice antiferromagnet.

Observation of a quantum spin liquid (QSL) state is one of the most important goals in condensed-matter physics, as well as the development of new spintronic devices that support next-generation industries. The QSL in two dimensional quantum spin systems is expected to be due to geometrical magnetic frustration, and thus a kagome-based lattice is the most probable playground for QSL. Here, we report the first experimental results of the QSL state on a square-kagome quantum antiferromagnet, KCuAlBiO(SO)Cl.

Colossal barocaloric effects in plastic crystals.

Refrigeration is of vital importance for modern society-for example, for food storage and air conditioning-and 25 to 30 per cent of the world's electricity is consumed for refrigeration. Current refrigeration technology mostly involves the conventional vapour compression cycle, but the materials used in this technology are of growing environmental concern because of their large global warming potential. As a promising alternative, refrigeration technologies based on solid-state caloric effects have been attracting attention in recent decades.

Low-energy spin dynamics of orthoferrites AFeO (A = Y, La, Bi).

YFeO and LaFeO are members of the rare-earth orthoferrites family with Pbnm space group. Using inelastic neutron scattering, the low-energy spin excitations have been measured around the magnetic Brillouin zone center. Splitting of magnon branches and finite magnon gaps (∼2 meV) are observed for both compounds, where the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions account for most of this gap with some additional contribution from single-ion anisotropy.