In theory, a vacuum is devoid of matter. In the presence of strong electric or magnetic fields, however, this void can break down, causing elementary particles to spring into existence. Usually, this breakdown only occurs during intense astrophysical events, but researchers at the UK’s National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester have now brought it into tabletop territory for the first time, observing this so-called Schwinger effect in a device based on graphene superlattices. The work will be important for developing electronic devices based on graphene and other two-dimensional quantum materials.
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