Scientist Reports Evidence of Quantum Spin Liquid in Natural Mineral

A mineral first collected from a mine in Iran in the 1970s is now being examined for possible quantum properties. The material, later named herbertsmithite, contains layers of copper atoms arranged in a Kagome pattern that prevents spins from locking into a fixed order.

Young Lee at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and colleagues used inelastic neutron scattering in 2025 to study the mineral. The method measures energy and momentum of neutrons that scatter from the sample to look for signs of spinons, particles predicted in quantum spin liquid models.

Background on Quantum Spin Liquids Physicist Philip W.

Anderson proposed the concept of a quantum spin liquid in 1973. He described a state in which quantum spins remain dynamic even at very low temperatures instead of aligning into a conventional magnetic order. Herbertsmithite matches several theoretical predictions for this state.

Its structure separates magnetic copper atoms with non-magnetic zinc layers, creating conditions where spins cannot stabilize into static patterns.

Direct measurement of entanglement in bulk materials remains unavailable. Researchers therefore rely on indirect probes such as neutron scattering or searches for emergent particles called spinons and visons. Laboratory synthesis of the mineral began in 2007, allowing controlled purity levels that natural samples cannot provide.

Multiple theoretical models and experimental approaches continue to be tested against the same material. Lee stated that the 2025 neutron scattering results supply evidence supporting the presence of spinons in herbertsmithite.