In a groundbreaking study published in Nature, an international team of researchers has unveiled a novel state of matter, distinguished by chiral currents at the atomic level. This discovery challenges traditional understandings of magnetic materials and opens up new avenues for quantum material applications.
Chirality, a property indicating that a structure cannot be superimposed onto its mirror image, is crucial across various scientific fields, notably in understanding DNA's structure. The research group, led by Federico Mazzola from Ca' Foscari University of Venice, observed these chiral currents through interactions between light and matter. Specifically, they demonstrated that electrons could be ejected from a material's surface with a distinct spin state by employing suitably polarized photons.
This finding is a significant leap in quantum materials research, shedding light on chiral quantum phases and phenomena occurring at material surfaces. Mazzola highlighted the potential of this discovery to revolutionize electronics by utilizing chiral currents as information carriers, replacing traditional electron charge-based devices. The implications extend to developing chiral optoelectronic devices, enhancing quantum technologies for new sensors, and applications in biomedical and renewable energy sectors.
To read more, click here.