Scientists from the University of Brown have made a groundbreaking discovery by opening a new class of quantum particles known as fractional excitons. These particles, though lacking an electric charge, possess unique quantum properties that could revolutionize the field of physics and the development of quantum technologies.
The research, which was published on January 8 in the journal Nature, was led by Professor Dima Feldman and Assistant Professor Jia Lee, along with graduate students Nayuan Zhang, Ron Nguyen, and Navketan Batra.
This discovery is linked to the fractional quantum Hall effect – a phenomenon observed under extremely low temperatures and strong magnetic fields. By utilizing a two-layer graphene structure separated by a boron nitride crystal, the researchers were able to create excitons, which are quasi-particles formed by binding an electron with a “hole”. Through the experiment, they succeeded in observing excitons with fractional charges.
These fractional excitons exhibit properties that challenge the conventional classification of particles into bosons and fermions. They display characteristics that are a blend of these categories, leaning towards anionic particles but still possessing distinct differences.
The potential applications of fractional excitons are vast, offering possibilities for enhancing quantum computing processes such as information storage and processing. Professor Feldman remarked, “This marks a new frontier in the realm of quantum mechanics.”
The team’s next endeavor will involve delving deeper into the interaction of fractional excitons and exploring ways to manipulate their properties.