The possibility of the existence of such a liquid magnet has been mentioned by Nobel prize winner Pierre de Gennes in the year 1970, but despite many attempts scientists have failed to find it. The success is entirely the result of the work of Slovenian scientists.

The discovery opens numerous new possibilities, for example for the use of optic devices that can be steered by very small magnetic fields and not with external voltage, as this was done so far.

The authors of the article published in British magazine Nature are Alenka Mertelj, Darja Lisjak, Miha Drofenik and Martin Čopič.