Crystal Growth of Ce₂Ge₂Mg

A quantum spin liquid (QSL) is a phase of matter that is formed from antiferromagnetic interactions of magnetic spins in a material; it is a superposition of all possible spin singlet configurations. It is predicted that a Shastry-Sutherland Lattice (SSL), where magnetic ions sit in orthogonal pairs, can host QSLs. Ce₂Ge₂Mg is a material where magnetic Ce ions sit on a SSL. We wanted to make Ce₂Ge₂Mg​​​​​​​ by the flux method for crystal growth where Mg is the flux, and then study this material to see how the SSL can be related to QSLs. Crystal material was made through the flux method, but they were not the desired material Ce₂Ge₂Mg​​​​​​​.