'Magnetic electricity' discovered

a, In zero field, magnetic charges occur as bound pairs, but some dissociate to give a fluctuating magnetic moment (green arrow). b, The field energy -QBrz competes with the Coulomb potential -mu_0Q^2/4pi.r to lower the activation barrier to dissociation. c, The application of a transverse field causes dissociation as charges are accelerated by the field. d, In the applied field, these charges remain dissociated while more bound pairs form to restore equilibrium. Magnetic moment fluctuations due to free charges produce local fields that are detected by implanted muons (mu^+).
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Researchers have discovered a magnetic equivalent to electricity: single magnetic charges that can behave and interact like electrical ones.
The work is the first to make use of the magnetic monopoles that exist in special crystals known as spin ice. By engineering different spin ice materials to modify the ways monopoles move through them, the materials might in future be used in "magnetic memory" storage devices or in spintronics - a field which could boost future computing power.