An international research team has discovered a new state of matter characterized by the presence of a quantum phenomenon known as chiral current. These currents are produced at the atomic scale by the collective motion of electrons, unlike conventional magnetic materials whose properties derive from the quantum characteristic of the electron, known as spin, and their arrangement within the crystal.

Importance of chirality

Chirality is an extremely important property in science; for example, it is fundamental to understanding DNA. In the detected quantum phenomenon, the chirality of currents was discovered by studying the interaction between light and matter, in which a suitably polarized photon can emit an electron from the surface of a material with a well-defined spin state. Discovery, published NatureIt significantly enriches our knowledge of quantum materials, the investigation of chiral quantum phases, and the phenomena occurring on the surface of materials.

Potential applications and implications

“Discovering the existence of these quantum states could pave the way for the development of a new type of electronics that uses quantum states,” explains Federico Mazzola, a condensed matter physics researcher at Ca’ Oscari University in Venice and leader of the study. “Chiral currents as information carriers instead of electron charge.” Additionally, these phenomena may be important for future applications based on new chiral optoelectronic devices and have a major impact in the field of quantum technologies for biomedical and renewable energy, as well as new sensors.”

Opening and review

This research, based on a theoretical prediction, using the Italian synchrotron Elettra, directly and for the first time confirmed the existence of this still mysterious and elusive quantum state. Until now, knowledge of the existence of this phenomenon was limited to theoretical predictions for some materials. Its observations on the surfaces of solids make it extremely interesting for the development of new ultrathin electronic devices.

A research team consisting of national and international partners, including the University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, the Spin Institute, the CNR Materials Officina Institute and the University of Salerno, investigated the phenomenon of a material already known to the scientific community with its electronic properties. features. and for applications in superconducting spintronics, but the new discovery is broader in scope, much more general, and can be applied to a wide range of quantum materials.

These materials are revolutionizing quantum physics and the current development of new technologies, possessing properties that go far beyond those described by classical physics.