Vol 8 Issue 12
The cover of this issue was inspired by the way electrons behave in graphene. This month researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) discovered that the fractional quantum Hall effect can occur in twisted multilayer graphene and graphene encased in boron nitride (Moiré structures) and seems to show that electrons have fractional charges. (v8 i12 p.23).
There is a connecting theme here with work by other research teams with these. Quasiparticles such as the Brown-Zak fermion (v4 i12 p.13), Wigner crystal (v5 I8 p.17) and Cooper pair super conductivity (v6 i4 p.11), cascading electrical properties of one twisted layer into the bulk of stacked graphene layers (v7 i8 p.16) and many others. These all have things in common; they all occur in a Moiré structure of some kind, appear at very low temperatures and involve interactions between electrons in graphene.
Also, teams not working on graphene have discovered interdimensional superconductivity where electrons choose to behave in two dimensions in a three-dimensional bulk material (v5 i5 p.14). Graviton-like behaviour has also been identified in 2D confined electrons (v8 i4 p.16). It appears that electrons like to interact with themselves in very structured ways that involve confinement in two dimensions rather than three, and they also do this over relatively long distances.
So what? Well, if someone can draw together and articulate these apparently different interactions into a unified whole, then there is probably a Nobel prize waiting for whoever does this. Oh, and we’ve not included other electron interactions involving spin, phonons, plasmons, entangled plasmons and the mysterious non-local resistance effect in graphene (v5 i12 p.14). So, maybe more than one Nobel then.
Coming back to normal life, sort of. We now know some of what Vivek Koncherry has been doing in Saudi Arabia – working on disruptive technologies. He has developed a graphene enhanced carbon fibre, and this has been made in the Kingdom. He has plans for a Giga Factory and, knowing Vivek, this will probably happen.
We are also starting to see applications for one of a range of new two-dimensional materials called MXenes (pronounced like ‘Maxine’). This one is a titanium carbide MXene, and flexible, electrically conductive and biodegradable films have been made. The researchers think this will enable a new generation of wearable electronic devices to be made (v8 i12 p.20). One to watch.
And, as ever, dear reader, there is so much more to watch for in this issue so please do read on…
Adrian Nixon
1st December 2024
£1,200.00
