Quantum mechanics governs the world of fundamental particles, where we can see a variety of quantum phenomena that emerge due to the collective behavior of particles like electrons.<\/p>\n
These exotic quantum states<\/a> are unusual, behaving differently from anything we know, and only emerge under extreme conditions like low temperatures or high pressures. Most of these exotic quantum states remain theoretical, as they are hard to produce due to the fragility and delicacy of the quantum world.<\/p>\n Now, researchers from Japan and the US have observed several previously unseen quantum states in a two-dimensional material. These materials join the growing list of what the researchers call a quantum zoo.<\/p>\n In a press release<\/a>, co-author of the study, Prof. Xiaoyang Zhu from Columbia University, said, \u201cSome of these states have never been seen before. And we didn\u2019t expect to see so many either.\u201d<\/p>\n Several of these quantum states were hidden, requiring the researchers to develop an innovative optical technique. The researchers used this technique to probe the quantum states of twisted molybdenum ditelluride (tMoTe2), a two-dimensional moir\u00e9 material.\u00a0<\/p>\n Topological quantum computer<\/p>\n Moir\u00e9 materials are made by stacking single-atom-thickness sheets (like graphene) with a slight twist or mismatch between the layers. This slight misalignment creates larger, over-arching patterns known as moir\u00e9 patterns.<\/p>\n Under certain conditions, moir\u00e9 materials can exhibit what is known as topological quantum states. These quantum states form uniquely as a result of electron interactions. They are of interest because they could be used to build quantum computers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Topological quantum computing<\/a> stands apart from current approaches by following a fundamentally different strategy. Instead of encoding information in fragile qubits, topological quantum computers would use the global properties of exotic quantum states, making them inherently more stable and less error-prone.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, these topological states are often created using external magnetic fields, but they disrupt the qubits in the quantum computer. This means we need a magnetic-free method to create the topological quantum states.\u00a0<\/p>\n To do so, the researchers developed their own optical technique. For the material, the researchers chose the twisted moir\u00e9 material, focusing on the fractional quantum Hall effect.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hidden quantum states<\/p>\n In the fractional quantum Hall effect, electrons in a material behave collectively, creating what are known as quasi-particles. These particles have charges that are a fraction of the charge of a single electron.<\/p>\n Scientists call these exotic quasi-particles anyons, and they behave in ways that neither electrons nor photons do.<\/p>\n While this may seem counterintuitive, it actually happens due to quantum mechanics. The catch is that this phenomenon requires strong external magnetic fields, which the researchers wished to avoid.<\/p>\n