Physicists observe a new form of magnetism for the first time

Physicists at MIT have spotted a fresh type of magnetism in nickel iodide (NiI₂), a two‑dimensional crystal. It mixes traits of everyday magnets and subtle, hidden ones, yet forms a distinct spiral pattern at the atomic level.

Qian Song, a research scientist at MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory (MRL), and his team were the first to identify and manipulate this p‑wave magnetism in lab-grown nickel iodide flakes. They showed they could flip the spiral spin pattern using a small electric field.

Scientists have studied ferromagnets, like fridge magnets and compass needles, where all spins align.

Antiferromagnets, on the other hand, have alternating spins that cancel out overall. This new state blends both: it has a preferred spin direction yet remains magnetically balanced thanks to its spiral layout.

Nickel atoms form a magnetic spiral

Researchers created single‑crystal flakes of nickel iodide. These were a few nanometers thick and tiny but perfectly layered.

The nickel atoms in this lattice arrange their spins in a spiral, which can twist left‑handed or right‑handed.

The team tested how these spirals interacted with traveling electrons. They used circularly polarized light and found that electrons matched the spin direction of the spiral. This confirmed the presence of p‑wave magnetism in the material.

Next came a key breakthrough: using a tiny voltage to switch the spiral’s handedness. When the electric field aligned with the spiral, it forced a switch from left to right, changing how electrons spin along specific paths.

Riccardo Comin, co‑author from MIT, noted this is more efficient than moving electric charge. Since only spins shift, there’s far less heat loss, the usual problem with conventional electronics.

Improving memory devices

Spintronics stores data using electron spin, not charge. This could allow denser, faster, low‑power memory.

Song said the control of p‑wave magnets with small electric fields “could save five orders of magnitude of energy.”

Libor Šmejkal of the Max Planck Group praised the results, noting they confirm theoretical expectations and highlight new possibilities for unconventional magnets.

In traditional electronics, current flows by moving electric charge. This generates heat, which limits how small and fast devices can get. Spintronics changes that by transmitting information using spin instead of charge.

Spin currents could allow for cooler, denser, and more efficient devices. If p-wave materials can be used at scale, they might replace some components in hard drives, logic gates, or neuromorphic chips designed to mimic the brain.

Effect works only in extreme cold

Right now, these effects show up only below about 60 K, around –346 °F, colder than liquid nitrogen. Comin acknowledged that room‑temperature performance remains the next challenge.

But p‑wave magnetism could guide the search for materials that work at everyday conditions. This state connects spins, electric fields, and atomic structure in a way that opens new design paths.

Symmetry plays a major role in how materials behave at the quantum level.

In p-wave magnets like nickel iodide, the broken inversion symmetry (where the atomic structure isn’t identical when flipped) helps create the conditions for spin–electric field coupling.

This asymmetry allows electric fields to control magnetic properties in ways not possible with traditional magnets. That’s key for building devices that respond to low voltages with high precision, especially for next-generation memory and quantum components.

Challenges for practical use

One hurdle in bringing p-wave magnetism to consumer devices is stability. Many exotic magnetic states only appear at ultracold temperatures or degrade quickly under ambient conditions.

To be viable, materials must combine the right crystal structure, spin properties, and resistance to interference from heat or strain.

Developing such compounds will require close collaboration between experimental physicists, materials scientists, and device engineers.

The reported study draws on advanced tools: first‑principles calculations and symmetry analysis, confirming p‑wave magnetism’s electrical control in a type II multiferroic.

NiI₂ itself has been featured earlier in studies of helical magnetism and multiferroics. This latest work builds on multiyear efforts to understand how spiral spins and electric polarization interact.

Room-temperature magnetic spirals

Scientists aim to identify materials that show similar p‑wave traits above room temperature. Real‑world devices like spintronic memories or processors could benefit from such efficient, controlled magnetism.

The intersection of theory and experiment here is powerful. It points directly at applications. It also signals that we might be entering a new era in how we use electron spin in technology.

P‑wave magnetism has sparked interest beyond MIT. Research groups across Europe and Asia are investigating similar magnetic states in other two‑dimensional materials, hoping to unlock room‑temperature applications.

This work draws on condensed matter physics, materials synthesis, and quantum engineering.

The convergence of these fields suggests that progress will depend on shared data, open-source modeling tools, and collaborative frameworks that cross national and disciplinary lines.

The study is published in Nature.

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