A group of researchers has investigated the intrinsic defect structure of the quantum spin ice candidate Pr₂Zr₂O₇ and the influence on its magnetic properties.

The single crystals of Pr₂Zr₂O₇ were grown at the University of Oxford using a ScIDre HKZ for the optical floating zone crystal growth. The highly pure, light green crystals formed under 10 atm argon at a growth rate of 12–15 mm/h. During growth, the afterheater was employed to reduce the cracking of the crystal.

Subsequent investigations showed intrinsic structural defects involving Pr³⁺ ions sitting on Zr⁴⁺ sites, compensated by oxygen vacancies and interstitial oxygen. This low-level disorder generates random transverse magnetic fields that split the Pr³⁺ ground state, which the study proposes actually facilitates a quantum spin liquid state.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10101