Breakthrough in rare-earth magnetism promises more efficient quantum technologies

In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers have discovered a new form of magnetism in a rare-earth compound – an advance that could pave the way for faster, more energy-efficient quantum and spintronic technologies.

A team from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has shown for the first time that single-crystal thin films of neodymium nitride (NdN) exhibit ferromagnetism driven not by electron spin, as seen in conventional magnets, but by the electron’s orbital angular momentum. The findings, published recently in ACS Nano, mark a significant shift in the understanding of magnetic behaviour in rare-earth materials.

Rare-earth elements, especially neodymium, are central to technologies such as electric vehicles, smartphones, wind turbines and defence