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Physicists Detect 'Octupolar' Magnetism Using Light-Driven Atomic Vibrations
Key Takeaways
- University of Toronto physicists led by Arun Paramekanti identified new signatures of a hidden 'octupolar' magnetic state that ordinary probes cannot detect.
- The octupolar order makes a crystalline lattice behave as if it has eight magnetic poles rather than the familiar two.
- The method shines light on a crystal and probes chiral phonons — vibrational energy packets with a handedness that do not match their mirror image.
- The study was published in Physical Review Letters and is framed as a first step toward practical multipolar technologies.
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DT Editorial Team··via phys.org