The quest for efficient energy transmission has led scientists to explore the bizarre world of quantum materials. These materials, governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, exhibit extraordinary properties that could revolutionize electronics and energy technologies. Recent breakthroughs in understanding how electrons behave within these materials are paving the way for “zero-loss” electricity, where energy can be transmitted without any dissipation.
The Promise of Topological Insulators
One promising approach involves using materials known as topological insulators. These materials possess a unique electronic structure: they are insulators in their interior but conduct electricity perfectly along their surfaces or edges. This surface conductivity is topologically protected, meaning it is robust against defects and disorder in the material. Electrons can travel along these surfaces without scattering, leading to dissipation-free current flow.
Unlocking Energy Efficiency
Topological insulators have garnered significant attention due to their potential to reduce energy waste in electronic devices. In conventional conductors like copper wires, electrons encounter resistance as they move through the material, losing energy in the form of heat. This energy loss is a major problem in modern electronics, contributing to battery drain and limiting device efficiency. Topological insulators offer a way to overcome this limitation by providing channels for electrons to flow without resistance.
Fractals and Fractional Dimensions
Theoretical physicists have even discovered that topological insulators may exist in fractional dimensions, such as 1.58. These fractional-dimensional topological insulators could be used for energy-efficient information processing. This discovery, combined with room-temperature operability, paves the way for advancements in quantum computing and energy efficiency through fractal structures.
Bending Electrons with Light
In a recent study, researchers used circular polarized light to induce bent electronic flows in bilayer graphene. By applying circular polarized infrared light onto the bilayer graphene device, they were able to selectively excite one specific valley population of electrons in the material, which generated a photovoltage perpendicular to the usual electron flow.
Implications for Imaging and Detection
This discovery could have major implications in applications for imaging in space, medical imaging, and even security applications such as the quality inspection of new materials. The ability to control the bending angle of electrons with light opens a new realm of many detection and imaging applications.
Curving the Fabric of Space
Another approach to controlling electron behavior in quantum materials involves curving the fabric of space within the material. By trapping electrons within a confined space and manipulating magnetic fields, researchers have shown that electrons can exhibit both spin- and orbital-sourced Berry curves. The two curves working in tandem allow the material to be more tightly controlled, suggesting a more energy-efficient future for our devices as it exhibits less energy loss.
Berry Phases and Quantum Geometry
In understanding how to control electrons’ movements, researchers rely on a concept in quantum physics known as the Berry phase. This phase happens when a wave-like particle (such as an electron) moves in a closed loop through space. The curvature of quantum materials is an intrinsic property of elementary electrons. The large number of electrons inside the material form a ‘quantum geometric space’ that can possess curvature.
Graphene’s Quantum Secrets
Florida State University researchers have discovered new states of matter in graphene with unusual electrical properties. The researchers designed structures made from five layers of graphene sandwiched between sheets of boron nitride and found that they exhibited unique electronic behavior at very low temperatures. In this configuration, electrons travel along the edges of the structure as fractions of a single charge without energy loss.
Quantum Anomalous Hall States
The states of matter discovered by Lu and colleagues exhibit what are called quantum anomalous Hall states, meaning electric current can flow along the edges of the material with zero resistance and without needing a magnetic field.
Twistronics and Moiré Potential
By engineering two-dimensional materials in this “twistronics” fashion, scientists are unlocking new possibilities in quantum physics. The moiré potential is like a scissor that helps us cut out the most useful parts of a quantum material.
Superconductors: The Ultimate Zero-Loss Materials
Superconductors are a class of quantum materials that can transmit energy with no loss. A superconducting wire has zero resistance, so it can carry current without losing any energy to heat. This contrasts with wires made from copper which have a low but nonzero resistance and always lose energy to heat.
Quantum Locking and the Meissner Effect
Quantum locking is about special ceramic materials that can carry huge electrical currents without getting hot. Superconductors can handle huge currents that would melt normal materials, making them very useful in technology. The Meissner effect is a core principle in quantum locking, which lets superconductors push out magnetic fields, creating a zero magnetic field inside the material.
The Challenge of Room-Temperature Superconductivity
The main roadblock to additional adoption of superconductors for lossless power transmission is that existing superconductors do not work at room temperature. Current research is focused on predicting and synthesizing materials that are room-temperature superconductors.
Kagome Materials: A New Frontier
Kagome materials, named after their resemblance to the pattern of bamboo threads in a traditional Japanese basket, are revolutionizing quantum physics due to their magnetic, topological, and superconducting properties. Researchers have measured the topological wrapping of electrons in matter, which refers to the curvature of the space in which they exist and move, in Kagome materials. This new discovery promises to revolutionize the way quantum materials will be studied in the future, thereby opening the doors to new developments in quantum technologies.
Van Hove Singularity
The presence of a van Hove singularity in a material that has both makes perfect sense as the common source for these exotic phenomena. Therefore, the presence of this singularity is the “secret sauce” that enables the quantum behavior of kagome metals.
The Future of Quantum Materials
Quantum materials hold immense promise for revolutionizing various technological fields, from renewable energies to biomedicine, and from electronics to quantum computers. As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of these materials, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking discoveries that pave the way for a future powered by zero-loss electricity and quantum technologies. The ability to manipulate electrons at the quantum level opens up unprecedented opportunities for creating new devices with enhanced energy efficiency, performance, and functionality.
The research and development in quantum materials is ongoing, and the possibilities seem limitless. As we delve deeper into the quantum realm, we can anticipate a future where energy is harnessed and transmitted with unparalleled efficiency, transforming our world in profound ways.
