Sculpting Quantum Landscapes in Kagome Crystals

The magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2, known for its distinctive Kagome lattice structure, has emerged as a prime candidate for next-generation spintronics. A new review highlights a significant breakthrough in synthesising ultra-high quality single crystals of this material using an iterative chemical vapour transport methodology. This process yields large, stoichiometric crystals with physical properties far superior to those previously available.

With these pristine surfaces, scientists successfully identified atomic structures and electronic behaviours using advanced microscopy. They discovered 'spin-orbit polarons'—quasiparticles arising from electron interactions—localised at sulphur vacancies on the surface. Crucially, the team demonstrated the ability to manipulate these configurations at the atomic scale. Furthermore, the introduction of oxygen dopants created quantum clusters that modify the electronic states of neighbouring atoms. These developments illustrate how mastering crystal growth and defect engineering can unlock scalable, functional quantum structures, paving the way for atomically precise design in advanced materials.