Researchers from around the world have discovered a strange new state of matter in graphene, a material made up of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure. The findings confirm predictions on how electrons behave when squeezed into crystalline arrangements and may contribute fresh ideas to achieving reliable approaches to quantum computing.
Graphene has been seen as a wonder material due to its unique properties, which allow spare electrons to “leap about” like tokens in a game of quantum checkers. Physicists have consistently bent the rules of this game, finding new ways to alter resistance and coordinate exotic states.
In this latest study, researchers twisted stacks of graphene into a moiré effect, forcing the carbon atoms to align in a repeating pattern. This altered electron geometry led to a shift in their speed and behavior, with some even developing a twist as they moved along the edges of the material.
The result is a paradoxical behavior where the topological electronic crystal can conduct electricity along its boundaries, despite forming an ordered array of electrons. This bizarre new realm of electron behavior has implications for quantum computing units known as qubits, which are more resistant to conventional methods.
This research was published in Nature and may lead to the discovery of a “bizarre zoo of electron quasiparticles” with twisted new physics. The study’s findings have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of graphene and its properties, opening up new avenues for exploring quantum computing and superconductivity.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-new-class-of-quantum-states-in-graphene