Neutron Scattering Evidence for Emergent Photons and Fractionalization in a Pyrochlore Quantum Spin Ice

Published 2025-06-19 00:00 UTC · 4M

Polarized neutron scattering on Ce₂Zr₂O₇ single crystals reveals gapless photon-like magnetic excitations and fractionalized spinons at 50 mK — the clearest experimental confirmation yet of the theoretically predicted emergent quantum electrodynamics inside a frustrated pyrochlore magnet.