Magnetic Interactions: Devil's Staircase-Like Behavior in Quasi-Periodic Qubit Systems

The Devil's Staircase (DS) phenomenon, characterized by an aperiodic, self-similar staircase structure in magnetization curves, is traditionally observed in periodic ferromagnets under external magnetic fields. However, its manifestation in aperiodic systems has received less attention. In this study, we utilize a programmable quantum annealer to conduct experimental investigations into the DS-like phenomenon in frustrated low-energy states within a nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 Ising model. A key distinction from traditional systems is our focus on shorter-ranged, all-antiferromagnetic interactions, which lead to a complex ground state phase diagram. This research extends the understanding of the DS phenomenon to challenging aperiodic systems and highlights the significant role of magnetic interactions in shaping ground state behavior of complex atomistic systems.