Recent progress in studies of cobalt-based quasi-1dimensional quantum magnets

The interplay of crystal electric field, temperature, and spin–orbit coupling can yield a Kramer ion and thus an effective S = ½ ground state for Co²⁺ ions (3d⁷ ), which is often the case for low-dimensional materials. This is because a highly anisotropic structural motif can force the spins to point either “up” or “down,” thereby creating a system where spins communicate via Ising interactions. Cobalt-based quasi-1-dimensional materials have been studied in this context since the latter half of the 20th century. However, due to the development of modern characterization techniques and advances in sample preparation, the exotic physical phenomena that have generated the most interest have only emerged in the past three to four decades. This topical review mainly summarizes progress in cobalt-based quasi-1-dimensional quantum magnets and comments on a few research directions of potential future interest.