Quantum spin liquids are as old as quantum magnetism: the first model of quantum magnetism ever solved, the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain (Bethe, 1931), is a quantum spin liquid. Almost a century later, this field of research is more active than ever, with several generalizations including two-dimensional models, and many compounds whose properties cannot be understood in terms of magnetic long-range order. In this talk, I will review the most striking developments since the early eighties including the Haldane’s conjecture on the spin-1 chain, random-valence-bond spin liquids as precursors to superconductivity, algebraic spin liquids and the kagome spin-1/2 antiferromagnet. I will finish with the Shastry-Sutherland model and its fascinating experimental realization SrCu2(BO3)2, with its sequence of magnetization plateaus and its pressure-induced critical point analog to that of water.
Dose assessment: from conceptual model to environmental radioactivity monitoring
Radionuclides are discharged into the environment from a variety of nuclear and radiation facilities, potentially causing harmful effects on human health and the environment. If discharges are likely to result in adverse radiological effects, they must be evaluated in...
