spin glass

A spin glass is a type of disordered magnetic material where, at low temperatures, the tiny magnetic moments (spins) behave unpredictably. Unlike regular magnets with aligned spins, spins in a spin glass are randomly oriented and struggle to settle into a stable pattern because of competing interactions—some prefer to align parallel, others antiparallel. This results in a complex, frustrated system with many competing configurations, leading to unique properties like slow, history-dependent changes and a rugged energy landscape. Spin glasses help scientists understand complex systems with disorder and frustration, applicable in fields from physics to computer science.