In recent years, scientists have been studying special materials called topological materials, with special attention paid to the shape, i.e., topology, of their electronic structures (electronic bands). Although it is not visible in real space, their unusual shape in topological materials produces various unique properties that can be suitable for making next-generation devices.
It was thought that in order to exploit topological physical properties, crystalline materials, where atoms are highly ordered and arranged in repeating patterns, were needed. Materials in the amorphous state, i.e., where atoms are disordered and only periodically arranged over short distances, were considered unsuitable for hosting the outstanding physical properties of topological materials.
Now, a collaborative research group has verified that even amorphous materials can have these special properties. The group was led by Associate Professor Kohei Fujiwara and Professor Atsushi Tsukazaki from Tohoku University's Institute for Materials Research (IMR); Lecturer Yasuyuki Kato and Professor Yukitoshi Motome from the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering and Associate Professor Hitoshi Abe at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization's Institute for Materials Structure Science.
Details of their findings were reported in the journal Nature Communications on June 13, 2023.
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