Previously theoretical quantum chaos has been observed experimentally, confirming a 40-year-old theory that electrons form structures in closed space. Using advanced imaging techniques on graphene, researchers confirmed ‘quantum tracks’, in which electrons follow unique closed orbits. These findings could revolutionize electronics by creating efficient low-power transistors and paving the way for new quantum control techniques. This discovery makes it possible to understand chaotic quantum systems by bridging the gap between classical and quantum physics.

Chaos Patterns Emerging in Quantum Space

Where can patterns emerge from chaos? The answer to this question in the incredibly small quantum realm lies with physicist Jairo Velasco Jr. of the University of California, Santa Cruz. It was obtained by an international research group led by In a study published on November 27 NatureResearchers have confirmed a 40-year-old theory that electrons confined to quantum spaces follow predictable paths rather than creating a random mess of orbits.

Electrons are unique because they exhibit both particle and wave properties. Unlike a predictably rolling ball, their behavior is often counterintuitive. Under certain conditions, the wave-like nature of electrons can cause interference by concentrating their motion into different patterns. Physicists call these common paths “unique closed orbits.”

Advanced Imaging Techniques in Quantum Research

Achieving this in Velasco’s laboratory required a complex combination of advanced imaging techniques and precise control over the behavior of electrons in graphene, a material widely used in research because its unique properties and two-dimensional structure make it ideal for observing quantum effects. In their experiments, Velasco’s team used a thin scanning tunneling microscope probe to first create an electron trap and then get close to the graphene surface to detect its movement without physically disturbing the electrons.

According to Velasco, the benefit of electrons moving in closed orbits in a closed space is that the properties of the subatomic particle will be better preserved as they move from one point to another. This has huge implications for everyday electronics, he said, explaining how information encoded in the properties of an electron could be transmitted losslessly, potentially leading to low-power, high-efficiency transistors.

“One of the most promising aspects of this discovery is its potential use in information processing,” Velasco said. “By gently perturbing, or ‘pushing,’ these orbitals, electrons can move predictably within the device and carry information from one end to the other.”

Quantum traces leave traces

In physics, these unique electron orbitals are known as “quantum tracks.” This was first explained in a theoretical study by Harvard University physicist Eric Heller in 1984. Using computer simulations, Heller discovered that confined electrons would move in high-density orbits when their wave motion was increased. mingle with each other.

“Quantum traces are not a miracle. But rather it’s a window into a strange quantum world,” said Heller, who is also one of the paper’s authors. “The scars are localizations around self-spinning orbitals. These reversals have no long-term consequences in our normal classical world; they are quickly forgotten. But in the quantum world, they will be remembered forever.”

Using quantum chaos

With the validation of Heller’s theory, researchers now have the empirical foundation needed to investigate potential applications. Today’s transistors, already at the nanoelectronic scale, could become even more efficient by incorporating quantum trace-based designs, and devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets could be developed that rely on densely packed transistors for increased computing power.

“For future research, we plan to leverage our imaging of quantum scars to develop methods to exploit and manipulate scars,” Velasco said. “Harnessing chaotic quantum phenomena may enable new methods of selective and flexible electron delivery at the nanoscale, thereby enabling innovative ways of quantum control.”

Classical Chaos and Quantum Chaos

Velasco’s team uses a visual model often called a “billiard” to illustrate the classical mechanics of linear and chaotic systems. A billiard ball is a confined space that shows how the particles inside it move, and the usual shape used in physics is called a “stadium”; here the ends are curved and the edges are straight. In classical chaos, a particle bounces randomly and unpredictably, eventually covering the entire surface.

In this experiment, the team created a stadium pool table about 400 nanometers long on atom-thin graphene. Then, with the help of a scanning tunneling microscope, they were able to observe quantum chaos in action: They finally saw with their own eyes the pattern of electron orbits in the stadium billiards they had created in Velasco’s laboratory.

“I am very pleased that we have successfully imaged quantum signatures in a real quantum system,” said co-author Zhehao Ge, a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz, when the study was completed. “I hope these studies will help us gain a deeper understanding of chaotic quantum systems.”