Magnetic Order in a Layered Material: An Unexpected Twist
In the crystal Rb1-xV2Te2O, the spins of vanadium atoms arrange in a checkerboard pattern: each spin is surrounded by opposite spins. This pattern is called G-type antiferromagnetism. Neutrons passing through the sample scatter off this pattern and reveal its geometry, like light from a flashlight shining through blinds casting stripes on a wall.