NMR of unconventional electronic materials
Exploring Unconventional Electronic Materials with NMR
We use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to investigate materials with unconventional electronic properties at the microscopic scale.
NMR, a technique based on the same physical principles as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), employs atomic nuclei as local probes of matter. This allows us to uncover rich information about the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of materials with atomic-level precision.
Our research focuses on:
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Unconventional superconductors, including high-temperature cuprate and iron-based families, as well as exotic superconducting states that emerge under strong magnetic fields.
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Unconventional magnetic systems, such as one-dimensional spin chains and frustrated two-dimensional magnets.
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Complex electronic phases, including charge-density waves, electronic nematicity, and the fascinating effects of disorder.
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A range of magnetically interesting molecules.
A distinctive feature of our research is the use of very high magnetic fields, generated by superconducting or resistive magnets. These fields often uncover hidden phases or induce dramatic changes in material behavior, enabling us to tune and understand their fundamental properties.
More information on the group website
Research Staff
Techniques
High-field and high-frequency NMR
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is widely used for the determination of molecular structures in chemistry and biology, where high magnetic fields are applied to increase the sensitivity and resolution of this technique. Its applications also include the analysis of innovative and functional materials such as superconductors, magnetic components, catalysts, materials for energy storage or contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
NMR at LNCMI Grenoble goes beyond the magnetic fields provided by superconducting magnets to reach 37 T. NMR probes with variable frequencies (up to 1500 MHz), variable temperatures (50 mK-300 K) and the improved 10 ppm resolution required for solid-state chemistry are also available, and are the subject of ongoing development.
LNCMI’s NMR team is available to support users in their projects.
Selected publications (last 5 years)
Spin-stripe order tied to the pseudogap phase in La1.8−xEu0.2SrxCuO4, A. Missiaen, H. Mayaffre, S. Krämer, D. Zhao, Y. Zhou,T. Wu, X.H. Chen, S. Pyon, T. Takayama, H. Takagi, D. LeBoeuf, M.-H. Julien, Phys. Rev. X 15, 021010 (2025)
Signatures of two gaps in the spin susceptibility of a cuprate superconductor, R. Zhou, M. Hirata, I. Vinograd, T. Wu, H. Mayaffre, S. Krämer, R. Liang, W. N. Hardy, D. A. Bonn, T. Loew, J. Porras, B. Keimer, M.-H. Julien, Nature Physics 21, 97 (2025).
Narrowly avoided spin-nematic phase in BaCdVO(PO4)2: NMR evidence, M. Ranjith, K. Yu. Povarov, Z. Yan, A. Zheludev, M. Horvatić, Phys. Rev. Research 6, 023043 (2024).
Magnetic and structural properties of the iron silicide superconductor LaFeSiH, M.F. Hansen, S. Layek, J.-B. Vaney, L. Chaix, M. R. Suchomel, M. Mikolasek, G. Gar- barino, A. Chumakov, R. Rüffer, V. Nassif, T. Hansen, E. Elkaim, T. Pelletier, H. Mayaffre, F. Bernardini, A. Sulpice, M. Núñez-Regueiro, P. Rodière, A. Cano, S. Tencé, P. Toulemonde, M.-H. Julien, and M. d’Astuto, Phys. Rev. B 109, 174523 (2024).
Longitudinal Spin Fluctuations Driving Field-Reinforced Superconductivity in UTe2, Y. Tokunaga, H. Sakai, S. Kambe, P. Opletal, Y. Tokiwa, Y. Haga, S. Kitagawa, K. Ishida, D. Aoki, G. Knebel, G. Lapertot, S. Krämer, and M. Horvatić, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 226503 (2023).
Second order Zeeman interaction and ferroquadrupolar order in TmVO4, I. Vinograd, K. R. Shirer, P. Massat, Z. Wang, T. Kissikov, D. Garcia, M. D. Bachmann, M. Horvatić, I. R. Fisher and N. J. Curro
npj Quantum Mater. 7, 68 (2022)
Superconductivity in the crystallogenide LaFeSiO1−δ with squeezed FeSi layers, M.F. Hansen, J.-B. Vaney, C. Lepoittevin, F. Bernardini, E. Gaudin, V. Nassif, M.-A. Méasson, A. Sulpice, H. Mayaffre, M.-H. Julien, S. Tencé, A. Cano, and P. Toulemonde, npj Quantum Mater. 7, 86 (2022).
Competition between spin ordering and superconductivity near the pseudogap boundary in La2−xSrxCuO4: insights from NMR, I. Vinograd, R. Zhou, H. Mayaf- fre, S. Krämer, S. K. Ramakrishna, A. P. Reyes, T. Kurosawa, N. Momono, M. Oda, S. Komiya, S. Ono, M. Horio, J. Chang, and M.-H. Julien, Phys. Rev. B 106, 054522 (2022).
NMR evidence against a spin-nematic nature of the presaturation phase in the frustrated magnet SrZnVO(PO4)2, K. M. Ranjith, F. Landolt, S. Raymond, A. Zheludev, and M. Horvatić, Phys. Rev. B 105, 134429 (2022).
Competing magnetic phases in the frustrated spin-1/2 chain compound β−TeVO4 probed by NMR, M. Pregelj, A. Zorko, D. Arčon, M. Klanjšek, N. Janša, P. Jeglič, O. Zaharko, S. Krämer, M. Horvatić, and A. Prokofiev, Phys. Rev. B 105, 035145 (2022).
Edwards-Anderson parameter and local Ising-nematicity in FeSe revealed via NMR spectral broadening, P. Wiecki, R. Zhou, M.-H. Julien, A. E. Böhmer, J. Schmalian, Phys. Rev. B 104, 125134 (2021).
Revealing three-dimensional quantum criticality by Sr substitution in Han Purple, S. Allenspach, P. Puphal, J. Link, I. Heinmaa, E. Pomjakushina, C. Krellner, J. Lass, G.S. Tucker, C. Niedermayer, S. Imajo, Y. Kohama, K. Kindo, S. Krämer, M. Horvatić, M. Jaime, A. Madsen, A. Mira, N. Laflorencie, F. Mila, B. Normand, C. Rüegg, R. Stern, and F. Weickert, Phys. Rev. Research 3, 023177 (2021)
High magnetic field ultrasound study of spin freezing in La1.88Sr0.12CuO4, M. Frachet, S. Benhabib, I. Vinograd, S.-F. Wu, B. Vignolle, H. Mayaffre, S. Krämer, T. Kurosawa, N. Momono, M. Oda, J. Chang, C. Proust, M.-H. Julien, and D. LeBoeuf, Phys. Rev. B 103, 115133 (2021).
Locally commensurate charge-density wave with three-unit-cell periodicity in YBa2Cu3Oy, I. Vinograd, R. Zhou, M. Hirata, T. Wu, H. Mayaffre, S. Krämer, R. Liang, W.N. Hardy, D.A. Bonn, and M.-H. Julien, Nat. Commun. 12, 3274 (2021).
LNCMI publications on HAL