Part 5/7:
The journey began in 2016 with the discovery of a magnetic compound composed of strontium, copper, iridium, and oxygen, known for its unique state dubbed "half fire, half ice." In this state, electrons in copper behave chaotically, resembling wild flames, while those in iridium exhibit structure akin to stable ice. The research took an unexpected turn when scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States identified an opposite state, termed "half ice, half fire," wherein the roles of the electrons switched.