Quantum oscillations defy expectations in this exotic material
Scientists have uncovered an unusual form of electron behavior in zirconium pentatelluride, a quantum material that can act as both an insulator and a conductor.
Scientists have uncovered an unusual form of electron behavior in zirconium pentatelluride, a quantum material that can act as both an insulator and a conductor.
The short version
- Under temperatures near absolute zero and magnetic fields reaching 60 tesla, electrons produced quantum oscillations that continued even after conventional physics predicted they should disappear.
- A study published in Nature Communications has revealed an unusual form of quantum oscillation in a three-dimensional topological insulator.
- The findings show that electrons in zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe 5 ) can behave in unexpected ways when exposed to temperatures close to absolute zero and extremely powerful magnetic fields.
What happened
The research was led by scientists from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Washington, and other U.S. institutions. The team combined electrical transport experiments performed in magnetic fields as strong as 60 tesla and at temperatures near 0.7 kelvin (-272.45 °C) with detailed theoretical calculations.
Why it matters
Larrea served as the doctoral advisor of Cauê Kaufmann Ribeiro, the study's first author.
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