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Strange topological materials are popping up everywhere physicists look

‘Fragile topology’ is the latest addition to a group of quantum phenomena that give materials exotic — and exciting — properties.
  1. Davide Castelvecchi
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Two overlapping sheets of graphene

Misaligned layers of graphene seem to exhibit a phenomenon known as fragile topology. Credit: Juliette Halsey for Nature

The mathematics hidden in materials keeps getting more exotic. Topological states of matter — which derive exotic properties from their electrons’ ‘knotty’ quantum states — have shot from rare curiosity to one of the hottest fields in physics. Now, theorists are finding that topology is ubiquitous — and recognizing it as one of the most significant ways in which solid matter can behave.

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Nature 571, 17-18 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02062-0

References

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