Topological phases of matter constitute a research area in condensed matter physics that studies quantum states distinguished by global, topological properties rather than local order parameters and symmetry breaking. This field investigates phases characterized by topological invariants (e.g., Chern numbers, Z₂ indices), robust edge or surface states, and phenomena such as quantized transport and anyonic excitations. Research focuses on topological insulators, superconductors, and semimetals, the role of symmetries and topology in band structures, and strongly correlated topological phases. It combines methods from quantum field theory, band theory, topology, and numerical many-body techniques, with implications for fault-tolerant quantum computation and novel electronic functionalities.
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are pioneering the design and synthesis of quantum materials, which are central to discovery science involving synergies with quantum computation. These ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 16, 2026
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At TU Wien, researchers have discovered a state in a quantum material that had previously been considered impossible. The definition of topological states should be generalized.
Condensed Matter
Jan 14, 2026
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A collaboration between Stuart Parkin's group at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle (Saale) and Claudia Felser's group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden has realized ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 12, 2026
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A group of scientists, including Sergey Frolov, professor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh, and co-authors from Minnesota and Grenoble have undertaken several replication studies centered around topological effects ...
General Physics
Jan 8, 2026
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Properties that remain unchanged when materials are stretched or bent, which are broadly referred to as topological properties, can contribute to the emergence of unusual physical effects in specific systems.
In the past year, two separate experiments in two different materials captured the same confounding scenario: the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism. Scientists had assumed that these two quantum states are mutually ...
Condensed Matter
Dec 22, 2025
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The convergence of non-Hermitian physics and topological photonics has opened exciting research directions in recent years, particularly in the development of robust laser systems.
Optics & Photonics
Dec 13, 2025
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University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists have demonstrated a reversible way to switch the topological state of a quantum material using mechanisms compatible with modern electronic devices. Published in Nature Materials, ...
Condensed Matter
Dec 1, 2025
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Scientists have taken another major step toward creating stable quantum computers. Using a specialized quantum computer chip (an essential component of a quantum computer) as a kind of tiny laboratory, a team led by Pan Jianwei ...
People tend to think of quantum materials—whose properties arise from quantum mechanical effects—as exotic curiosities. But some quantum materials have become a ubiquitous part of our computer hard drives, TV screens, and ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 15, 2025
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