A team of scientists has developed a method that harnesses the structure of light to twist and tweak the properties of quantum materials. Their results, published today in Nature, pave the way for advancements in next generation quantum electronics, quantum computing and information technology.
The team, led by researchers from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University, applied this method to a material known as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a single layer of atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern with properties that make it uniquely suited for quantum manipulation. In their experiments, the scientists used a special kind of light, whose electric field looks like a trefoil, to change and control the material's behavior on a quantum level at an ultrafast time scale.
The way the light wave is twisted also allows researchers to precisely control the material's quantum properties—rules that determine the behavior of electrons, which are essential for electricity and data flow. This ability to control quantum properties on demand could pave the way for creating ultrafast quantum switches for future technologies.
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