Topological materials are condensed-matter systems whose electronic or quasiparticle excitations are characterized by nontrivial topological invariants in momentum space, leading to robust boundary or defect states protected by symmetries such as time-reversal, crystalline, or particle–hole symmetry. Their bulk band structure exhibits features like band inversion and topological band gaps, enabling phenomena such as dissipationless edge or surface conduction, Dirac or Weyl fermions, and Majorana bound states. As physical systems, they serve as platforms for studying topological phases of matter, spin–orbit coupling effects, and emergent gauge fields, with relevance to quantum transport, spintronics, and topological quantum computation.
Topological insulators raise the exciting hope of realizing lossless energy transport, which is true at ultralow temperatures. However, topological insulators fail to maintain this lossless 'magic' at room temperature.
Nanophysics
Sep 24, 2024
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Researchers from Monash University, part of the FLEET Center, have revealed a generic approach towards intrinsic magnetic second-order topological insulators. These materials are crucial for advancements in spintronics, an ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 12, 2024
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70
Overcoming magnetic disorder is key to exploiting the unique properties of quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators. A Monash-led team has demonstrated that the breakdown in topological protection is caused by magnetic disorder, ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 11, 2024
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81
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have successfully simulated higher-order topological (HOT) lattices with unprecedented accuracy using digital quantum computers. These complex lattice structures ...
Quantum Physics
Aug 30, 2024
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146
A collaborative research team has identified the world's first multiple Majorana zero modes (MZMs) in a single vortex of the superconducting topological crystalline insulator SnTe and exploited crystal symmetry to control ...
Superconductivity
Aug 29, 2024
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133
Researchers have fabricated a quasi-one-dimensional van der Waals zirconium telluride thin film, which is a form of a substance that has long promised advances in quantum computing, nano-electronics and other advanced technologies. ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 27, 2024
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113
Topological materials are materials that have unusual properties that arise because their wavefunction—the physical law guiding the electrons—is knotted or twisted. Where the topological material meets the surrounding space, ...
Superconductivity
Aug 26, 2024
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147
A multi-institutional team of scientists in the United States, led by physicist Peng Wei at the University of California, Riverside, has developed a new superconductor material that could potentially be used in quantum computing ...
Superconductivity
Aug 23, 2024
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229
The first materials scientists might have been early humans who—through trial-and-error experiments—discovered the first "cutting-edge" technologies. They found that the best arrowheads and other tools could be made from ...
Condensed Matter
Aug 12, 2024
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189
In traditional Japanese basket-weaving, the ancient "Kagome" design seen in many handcrafted creations is characterized by a symmetrical pattern of interlaced triangles with shared corners. In quantum physics, the Kagome ...
Nanophysics
Jul 30, 2024
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