When different quantum states mix, recent collective states of matter can emerge. Within the quantum realm, combining components resembling atoms that possess quantum effects can provide rise to macroscopic quantum states of matter, featuring exotic quantum excitations that don’t exist anywhere else.
In a collaboration between Aalto University and the Institute of Physics CAS, researchers built a synthetic quantum material, atom by atom, from magnetic titanium on top of a magnesium oxide substrate. They then rigorously engineered how atoms interacted contained in the material with the goal of birthing a brand new state of quantum matter. Jose Lado, assistant professor at Aalto University, created the theoretical design to engineer the fabric featuring topological quantum magnetism, and a bunch led by associate professor Kai Yang on the Institute of Physics CAS built and measured the unreal material using atomic manipulation with scanning tunneling microscopy.
Consequently, the researchers demonstrated for the primary time a brand new quantum state of matter often called a higher-order topological quantum magnet. The topological magnet could represent a brand new method to achieve substantial protection against decoherence in quantum technology.
The research was published today in Nature Nanotechnology
Beyond being interesting from the perspective of fundamental science, topological quantum many-body matter resembling this recent quantum magnet could have a groundbreaking impact on future quantum technologies.
‘Making a many-body topological quantum magnet makes it possible to explore an exciting recent direction in physics. Excitations in topological quantum magnets have wildly different properties than those present in conventional magnets and will allow us to create recent physical phenomena which can be beyond the capabilities of current quantum materials,’ Lado says.
Quantum magnets are materials that realize a quantum superposition of magnetic states, bringing quantum phenomena from the microscopic to the macroscopic scale. These materials feature exotic quantum excitations-including fractional excitations where electrons behave as in the event that they were split into many parts-that don’t exist anywhere outside of this material.
To control how the atoms behaved contained in the quantum material the researchers had assembled, they poked each individual atom with a tiny needle. This method allows for the accurate probing of qubits on the atomic level. The needle, in point of fact an atomically sharp metal tip, served to excite the atoms’ local magnetic moment, which resulted in topological excitations with enhanced coherence.
‘Topological quantum excitations, resembling those realized within the topological quantum magnet we now built, can feature substantial protection against decoherence. Ultimately, the protection offered by these exotic excitations can assist us overcome among the most pressing challenges of currently available qubits,’ Lado says.
Of their experiment, the researchers observed that the topological excitations were proof against perturbations, a feature that was also predicted in Lado’s theoretical design. The outcomes also showed that the quantum coherence of the topological excitations was higher than their original individual components. This finding could point to a way of turning the researchers’ artificial quantum material right into a constructing block for quantum information that’s protected against decoherence.
