Magnetism is pivotal for emergent phenomena in solid-state platforms. Our understanding of magnetism has been shaped by neutron scattering techniques on materials with ordered magnetic moments. Neutrons, when interacting with these materials, unveil static and dynamic inter-atomic magnetic correlations in their energy- and momentum-transfer spectrum.  

This project will establish time-resolved neutron scattering techniques to study the unconventional spin dynamics in the absence of magnetic ordering, a crucial step towards understanding quantum spin liquids. Introducing a time dimension expands the neutron scattering data into five dimensions, enabling the exploration of dynamic spin-spin correlation functions in the time domain. This approach, adaptable across varied spectrometer types and pump sources, introduces a novel operational mode for neutron scattering and provides advanced insights into unconventional correlated magnetism.

This capability will be developed through a series of magnetic-field-pump neutron-scattering-probe experiments conducted on quantum magnets with near-degenerate ground states. Spin dynamics across distinct ground states manifests as quantum tunneling, whose time- and spatial-correlation pattern can be revealed by the proposed innovative neutron scattering technique. The model systems to be studied exhibit strong magnetic correlations and long relaxation time scales including classical spin liquids, spin glasses, and domain-wall tunneling.