Quantum materials with strong spin-orbit coupling: challenges and opportunities for materials chemists

Abstract

Spin-orbit coupling is a quantum effect that can give rise to exotic electronic and magnetic states in the compounds of the 4d and 5d transition metals. Exploratory synthesis, chemical tuning and structure-property characterisation of such compounds is an increasingly active area of research with both fundamental and application-related outlooks. However, these exotic states have an extremely sensitive dependence on the structure and bonding of the host materials, meaning that great care is required with regards to their chemistry, but this is not always considered sufficiently. This Perspective will give an accessible introduction to topical materials with strong spin-orbit coupling, their crystal chemistry, and challenges in their synthesis and characterisation that must be faced if their structure-property relationships are to be correctly determined. These are common to investigations of the same compounds in other fields and rely on the contributions of materials chemists.