Two-dimensional quantum universality in the spin-1/2 triangular-lattice quantum antiferromagnet Na2BaCo(PO4)2.

An interplay of geometrical frustration and strong quantum fluctuations in a spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TAF) can lead to exotic quantum states. Here, we report the neutron-scattering, magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric studies of the recently discovered spin-1/2 TAF Na2BaCo(PO4)2, which can be described by a spin-1/2 easy axis XXZ model. The zero-field neutron diffraction experiment reveals an incommensurate antiferromagnetic ground state with a significantly reduced ordered moment of about 0.54(2) µB/Co. Different magnetic phase diagrams with magnetic fields in the ab plane and along the easy c-axis were extracted based on the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and elastic neutron-scattering results. In addition, two-dimensional (2D) spin dispersion in the triangular plane was observed in the high-field polarized state, and microscopic exchange parameters of the spin Hamiltonian have been determined through the linear spin wave theory. Consistently, quantum critical behaviors with the universality class of d = 2 and νz = 1 were established in the vicinity of the saturation field, where a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of diluted magnons occurs. The newly discovered quantum criticality and fractional magnetization phase in this ideal spin-1/2 TAF present exciting opportunities for exploring exotic quantum phenomena.

Pressure-Enhanced Ferromagnetism in Layered CrSiTe3 Flakes.

Despite recent advances in layered ferromagnets, ferromagnetic interactions in these materials are rather weak. Here, we report pressure-enhanced ferromagnetism in layered CrSiTe3 flakes revealed by high-pressure magnetic circular dichroism measurements. Below ∼3 GPa, CrSiTe3 undergoes a paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition at ∼32 K, and the field-induced spin-flip in the ferromagnetic phase produces nearly zero hysteresis loops, demonstrating soft ferromagnetism. Above ∼4 GPa, a soft-to-hard ferromagnetic transition occurs, signaled by rectangular-shaped hysteresis loops with finite coercivity and remanent magnetization. Interestingly, as pressure increases, the Curie temperature and coercivity dramatically increase up to ∼138 K and 0.17 T at 7.8 GPa, respectively, in contrast to ∼36 K and 0.02 T at 4.6 GPa. It indicates a remarkable influence of pressure on exchange interactions, which is consistent with DFT calculations. The effective interaction between magnetic couplings and external pressure offers new opportunities in pursuit of high-temperature layered ferromagnets.

Hard ferromagnetic behavior in atomically thin CrSiTe3 flakes.

The research on two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnets has promoted the development of ultrahigh-density data storage and nanoscale spintronic devices. However, the soft ferromagnetic behavior in most 2D magnets, which means the absence of remanent magnetization, severely limits their applications in realistic devices. Here, we report a layer-controlled ferromagnetic behavior in atomically thin CrSiTe3 flakes, where a transition from the soft to the hard ferromagnetic state occurs as the thickness of samples decreases down to several nanometers. Phenomenally, in contrast to the negligible hysteresis loop in the bulk counterparts, atomically thin CrSiTe3 shows a rectangular loop with finite magnetization and coercivity as the thickness decreases down to ∼8 nm, indicative of a single-domain and out-of-plane ferromagnetic order. We find that the stray field is weakened with decreasing thickness, which suppresses the formation of the domain wall. In addition, thickness-dependent ferromagnetic properties also reveal a crossover from 3 dimensional to 2 dimensional Ising ferromagnets, accompanied by a drop of the Curie temperature from 33 K for bulk to ∼17 K for the 4 nm sample. Our study paves the way towards exploring and learning much more about atomically thin and layered intrinsic ferromagnets.

Dynamic fingerprint of fractionalized excitations in single-crystalline Cu3Zn(OH)6FBr.

Beyond the absence of long-range magnetic orders, the most prominent feature of the elusive quantum spin liquid (QSL) state is the existence of fractionalized spin excitations, i.e., spinons. When the system orders, the spin-wave excitation appears as the bound state of the spinon-antispinon pair. Although scarcely reported, a direct comparison between similar compounds illustrates the evolution from spinon to magnon. Here, we perform the Raman scattering on single crystals of two quantum kagome antiferromagnets, of which one is the kagome QSL candidate Cu3Zn(OH)6FBr, and another is an antiferromagnetically ordered compound EuCu3(OH)6Cl3. In Cu3Zn(OH)6FBr, we identify a unique one spinon-antispinon pair component in the E2g magnetic Raman continuum, providing strong evidence for deconfined spinon excitations. In contrast, a sharp magnon peak emerges from the one-pair spinon continuum in the Eg magnetic Raman response once EuCu3(OH)6Cl3 undergoes the antiferromagnetic order transition. From the comparative Raman studies, we can regard the magnon mode as the spinon-antispinon bound state, and the spinon confinement drives the magnetic ordering.

NUP37 silencing induces inhibition of cell proliferation, G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

NUP37 has been reported as a component of the nuclear pore complex, which may be involved in tumorigenesis. Previous reports have shown that NUP37 acts as an oncogene in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its role in lung cancer remains unknown. The present study demonstrated for the first time that NUP37 expression was overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples compared with the corresponding expression noted in normal tissues. The results were derived by analyzing public datasets. Moreover, it was shown that NUP37 was overexpressed in advanced stage NSCLC samples compared with the corresponding expression of this protein in early stage NSCLC samples. Higher expression levels of NUP37 correlated with lower overall survival (OS) in NSCLC samples. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that NUP37 was involved in regulating cell cycle progression in NSCLC. Furthermore, knockdown of NUP37 suppressed cell growth and proliferation in A549and H1299 cells as demonstrated with the Celigo Cell Counting method and the MTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that knockdown of NUP37 induced significant S phage cell arrest and apoptosis in A549 and H1299 cells. The results showed that knockdown of NUP37 remarkably induced the protein levels of cleaved PARP, P53 and BCL2 in A549 cells. Therefore, it was concluded that NUP37 serves a distinguished role in the growth of lung cancer cells and may be considered as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for lung cancer.