Physicists discover golden ratio in the quantum realm

Physicists discover golden ratio in the quantum realm: "To reveal the hidden quantum symmetry, the researchers worked with the magnetic material cobalt niobate in "chains" only one atom wide. When applying a magnetic field at right angles to an aligned spin the magnetic chain transforms into a quantum critical state. "The system reaches a quantum uncertain - or a Schrödinger cat state. This is what we did in our experiments with cobalt niobate. We have tuned the system exactly in order to turn it quantum critical," explained researcher Prof. Alan Tennant, from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie in Germany.

By tuning the system and artificially introducing more quantum uncertainty, the researchers observed that the chain of atoms acts like a nanoscale guitar string. "Here the tension comes from the interaction between spins causing them to magnetically resonate. For these interactions we found a series of resonant notes: The first two notes show a perfect relationship with each other. Their frequencies (pitch) are in the ratio of 1.618..., which is the golden ratio famous from art and architecture,"