Scientists Discover New State of Matter Using Quantum Frustration
Physicists have discovered a new phase of matter called the "chiral bose-liquid state" by engineering a "frustration machine" that creates a semiconductor device. The device works by stacking an upper semiconducting layer through which electrons are able to freely move, and a lower layer with holes that electrons occasionally move into. The resulting frustration produces the novel chiral edge state, which produces several unique characteristics. The discovery could have applications that include more secure and reliable methods for encoding digital information.