Quantum systems that appear disordered can sometimes reorganize in ways that restore the perfect behavior expected from highly symmetric materials. This project investigates how collections of quantum magnets lacking individual symmetry can combine to correct one another and produce collective states with improved quantum properties. The research links computational work at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) with a global optimization tool at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to speed the search for effective molecular arrays.
Starting from a broken-symmetry molecular magnet already under study, the team will design more stable structures built from three or six magnets arranged on a boron nitride–like surface. Demonstrating this cooperative correction could open new pathways for creating reliable quantum materials and devices that do not require ideal symmetry at the level of single molecules.
Posting date: Wed, 01/14/2026
Award start date: Tue, 03/18/2025
Award end date: Tue, 09/30/2025