New research has been published in the journal Nature which further reveals how matter behaves at the quantum level. The team has discovered the “chiral Bose-liquid state,” a completely new matter phase that has implications for the design of advanced quantum computers.
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Wild Quantum States: Beyond the Normal
Matter normally exists as a liquid, gas, or solid. However, under specific conditions, such as near absolute zero or at the interatomic scale, strange things occur.
Significant research attention has been placed on the induction and observation of quantum phases in recent decades as scientists seek to understand the universe and peel back its secrets. Studies have opened up profound new possibilities in the design of technologies such as quantum computers and superconductors.
At the quantum level, several intriguing effects occur between particles. These include moat bands, kinetic frustration, and band degeneracy. These effects are extremely difficult to observe, requiring highly specialized equipment.
In a normal system, particles behave in a predictable fashion: a particle collides with another, causing it to be deflected, and so forth. In a wild quantum state, however, particles behave in a highly unpredictable and surprising way.
A Previously Undiscovered Quantum State
To reveal the previously undiscovered chiral-Bose liquid state, the team behind the research built a semiconducting quantum frustration machine. The machine has a unique structure, composed of two layers: an electron-rich upper layer and a bottom layer with an imbalance in holes where electrons can occupy.
The novel quantum phase discovered by the authors was observed at the interatomic scale. Once the layers are brought together at this scale, interesting things happen due to the frustration in the system as the electrons try to occupy fewer holes than would normally be available in an everyday system.
By cooling the system to near absolute zero, an intriguing effect is observed in this new quantum phase. Particles with a neutral charge all display highly predictable clockwise or counterclockwise spin, which cannot be altered by magnetic fields or by the introduction of outside particles.
In addition, long-term quantum entanglement in this phase causes all particles to react the same when an external particle collides with the system. This, the authors noted, was a highly surprising observation.
At the bilayer edges, a transport system, helical-like in nature, is seen with holes and electrons all moving at the same velocity. Magnetic fields can be employed to modulate transport behavior, opening up new possibilities in the design of quantum technologies.
The research also demonstrated that a moat band is caused by strong frustration in the system. An unconventional excitonic topological order which breaks time-reversal symmetry was observed. Another surprising observation was that the helical transport system evolves to a chiral-like edge transport system.
Possibilities for Quantum Computing
One of the main possibilities mentioned by the research team is in the field of quantum data storage. Conventional data storage technologies suffer from errors that can lead to data corruption and critical system issues. Quantum computing seeks to overcome these issues to provide enhanced data storage and security.
The main advantage lies in the robustness of the system. As spin cannot be changed by external magnetic fields or particles from outside the system, data can be encoded securely and for long periods of time without becoming corrupted.
This means that extremely robust, fault-tolerant digital data storage systems can be constructed by taking advantage of this novel quantum state. This will lead to more secure and efficient quantum computing systems that can be employed to perform complex calculations far beyond the capabilities of conventional computers.
The Future
By demonstrating the existence of a previously undiscovered exotic state at the quantum level, the authors have further peeled back the enigmatic world that exists far beyond the everyday observable universe. The research provides further evidence for the key role of frustration and correlation in physics.
The surprising but predictable and highly ordered behavior of the particles in the chiral Bose-liquid state could potentially lead to a minor revolution in quantum data storage, a key research area in quantum computing. This discovery is extremely exciting and will require further research to truly understand its impact.
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References and Further Reading
Wang, R et al. (2023) Excitonic topological order in imbalanced electron–hole bilayers Nature [online] nature.com. Available at:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06065-w
University of Massachusetts Amhurst (2023) For experimental physicists, quantum frustration leads to fundamental discovery [online] sciencedaily.com. Available at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230614220626.htm
University of Massachusetts Amhurst (2023) Quantum Frustration Leads to Fundamental Physics Discovery: A New Phase of Matter [online] scitechdaily.com. Available at:
https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-frustration-leads-to-fundamental-physics-discovery-a-new-phase-of-matter/?expand_article=1
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