US scientists discover never-before-seen quantum ‘species’ in twisted material
The researchers developed their own optical technique for this.
Quantum mechanics governs the world of fundamental particles, where we can see a variety of quantum phenomena that emerge due to the collective behavior of particles like electrons.
These exotic quantum states are unusual, behaving differently from anything we know, and only emerge under extreme conditions like low temperatures or high pressures. Most of these exotic quantum states remain theoretical, as they are hard to produce due to the fragility and delicacy of the quantum world.
Now, researchers from Japan and the US have observed several previously unseen quantum states in a two-dimensional material. These materials join the growing list of what the researchers call a quantum zoo.
In a press release, co-author of the study, Prof. Xiaoyang Zhu from Columbia University, said, “Some of these states have never been seen before. And we didn’t expect to see so many either.”
Several of these quantum states were hidden, requiring the researchers to develop an innovative optical technique. The researchers used this technique to probe the quantum states of twisted molybdenum ditelluride (tMoTe2), a two-dimensional moiré material.