A significant breakthrough has been made in the study of the quantum realm, with physicists now able to measure the geometrical ‘shape’ an electron takes as it moves through a solid. This achievement opens up new possibilities for understanding the behavior of crystalline solids at a quantum level.
“We’ve essentially developed a blueprint for obtaining some completely new information that couldn’t be obtained before,” says physicist Riccardo Comin of MIT.
The research was led by physicists Mingu Kang and Sunjie Kim, exploring the quantum behavior of matter within a solid, where classical physics concepts no longer apply.
At the quantum level, the behavior of particles can become strange, described by wave-like possibilities rather than precise measurements. Electrons, for example, exhibit wave-like properties that defy the traditional ‘particle’ description.
Physicists use wave functions to describe the quantum nature of electrons, which can have geometrical shapes resembling curves, spheres, or even more complex structures like a Klein bottle or a Möbius strip.
Measuring the quantum geometry of electrons has previously relied on guesswork, but Kang, Jie, and their team developed a technique to measure the quantum geometric tensor (QGT) using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.
This technique provided the first measurement of QGT in a solid, offering insights into the quantum geometry of electrons in a cobalt-tin alloy.
The team’s methodology can be applied to various materials beyond the cobalt-tin alloy, hinting at potential discoveries in superconductivity and other quantum phenomena.
Experts suggest that this geometric understanding of quantum mechanics could lead to significant advancements in condensed-matter physics, opening up new avenues for experimental exploration of novel phenomena.
The team’s groundbreaking research can be found in Nature Physics.
