New Tool Unravels Quantum Electronic States Layer-by-Layer.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a new tool that can help reveal the origin of electronic states in engineered materials, paving the way for their use in future quantum technology applications. The tool uses a technique called layer-encoded frequency-domain photoemission to send two laser pulses into a layered material, allowing researchers to piece together a “movie” that shows how electrons move in each layer. The researchers applied the technique to a two-layered magnetic topological insulator and found that the special electronic state was not in the magnetic layer, which defies theoretical predictions. The technique could also be used to better understand other special materials, like topological superconductors and so-called twistronics.