Electron Spin Maps (IMAGE)
Caption
Model electron spin maps show the iron-tellurium-sulfur material. The left-hand column, a-c, shows three models of electron spin correlations, with the red and green colors of the peaks and corresponding planar projections below each model representing oppositely oriented spins. The images on the right, d-f, show the resulting neutron scattering patterns for each case. Starting at a, which represents the dominant correlations at high temperature, notice how the spins form alternating squares like a checkerboard in the planar projection, and how the "square dance partners" of the pattern change to diagonals in (b), which occurs on cooling to low temperature, and finally to alternating stripes stipulated to exist in a good superconductor (c).
Credit
Brookhaven National Laboratory
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