Quantum Magnet Innovates Material Bending and Stretching

Isbel Lázaro.
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imán cuántico

Inspenet, August 2, 2023.

A quantum magnet may seem like something totally unknown, but it has been found that it can be very useful for use in electronics.

A team of researchers at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) has discovered a new way to use magnets. They have succeeded in creating a type of quantum magnet by controlling the anomalous Hall effect with the Berry curvature, thus allowing its effects to be manipulated and controlled. This would have various applications in fundamental areas such as robotics , electronics and computing.

But first: What is the Hall effect?

The Hall effect consisted of placing a magnet perpendicular to a vertical strip of metal through which a current flowed. This current was diverted toward the opposite end of the metal, demonstrating asymmetric behavior. This phenomenon in quantum mechanics is useful, but it requires the presence of the previously mentioned Berry curvature.

The anomalous Hall effect is used to deflect the flow of electrons without relying on a magnetic field, which makes it especially interesting. Its main advantage lies in allowing better control of the flow of electricity compared to traditional methods.

Now, the researchers have managed to represent this concept of a quantum magnet using a material created by a researcher. This shows the anomalous Hall effect when subjected to compression and stretching, suggesting its potential use in the field of flexible electronics .

How is this quantum magnet composed?

The material in question consists of base layers of aluminum oxide or strontium titanate, with a thickness of approximately half a millimeter. On top of these base layers, an additional layer of chromium telluride, a magnetic compound, is added. It is this last layer that gives flexibility to the base layers. In this way, when the material is subjected to compression and stretching, causing a deformation, it does not lose its ability to conduct electrons. This experiment has clearly and conclusively demonstrated the result obtained with the quantum magnet.

These advances have also inspired researchers to develop materials that can adapt to changes in stress.

It is important to note that all these advances could lead to the creation of flexible materials in areas such as robotics, which in turn could lead to the manufacture of soft sensors, opening the possibility of conceiving the construction of more authentic and realistic humanoid robots. .

It also has potential applications in the creation of artificial prosthetics and in companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink. In addition, in other fields, these materials will be useful, since they allow the storage of data according to the applied voltage.

Source: https://elchapuzasinformatico.com/2023/07/iman-cuantico-electronica-flexible-robotica/

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