Summary

In some materials, physical properties don't emerge from their individual particles, but from the collective behavior of their quantum spins. Now, researchers led by Pengcheng Dai at Rice University in the U.S. have discovered that in one compound containing the rare-earth element ytterbium, these spins can behave much like the molecules in a liquid crystal: favoring a certain direction without lining up to create magnetism on larger scales. Spin is a quantum property of particles including electrons, essentially turning them into tiny bar magnets pointing in specific directions.

AI summaries can be wrong sometimes—always verify important details using the source article.