Physicists from MIT, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard/Berkeley have investigated the phenomenon of fractionally charged electrons in pentalayer moiré graphene, even in the absence of a magnetic field. This fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect arises from a unique “flat” electronic band caused by strong electron interactions within the moiré-patterned graphene. The flat band suppresses electron kinetic energy, leading to exotic quantum states and behaviors, including fractional charge splitting. The findings suggest that electrons experience pseudo-magnetic fields created by the material’s crystal-like periodic “mountain and valley” landscape, removing the need for real magnetic fields. This discovery offers insights into the quantum properties of multilayer graphene and potential advancements in high-temperature superconductivity and quantum materials. The study emphasizes the need for further theoretical work to understand these phenomena. The findings were published in Physics World.
For more details, please continue reading the full article under the following link:
In general, if you enjoy reading this kind of scientific news articles, I would also be keen to connect with fellow researchers based on common research interests in materials science, including the possibility to discuss about any potential interest in the Materials Square cloud-based online platform ( www.matsq.com ), designed for streamlining the execution of materials and molecular atomistic simulations!
Best regards,
Dr. Gabriele Mogni
Technical Consultant and EU Representative
Virtual Lab Inc., the parent company of the Materials Square platform
Website: Home | Virtual Lab Inc.
Email: gabriele@simulation.re.kr
#materials #materialsscience #materialsengineering #computationalchemistry #modelling #chemistry #researchanddevelopment #research #MaterialsSquare #ComputationalChemistry #Tutorial #DFT #simulationsoftware #simulation