Kohima: Researchers from Nagaland University and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have proposed a new two-dimensional lattice structure that could allow quantum states to be controlled using magnetic fields, opening up potential applications in quantum sensors, programmable quantum devices and advanced materials.
The study introduces a structure called a diamond-dodecagon lattice, which researchers found through computer simulations can confine electrons to small regions, creating unusual quantum states known as flat bands.
The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.
The study was co-authored by Dr Biplab Pal of Nagaland University and Dr Joydeep Majhi of IIT Bombay and was funded through a Minor Start-up Research Grant from Nagaland University.
Flat bands occur when electrons have very little freedom to move through a material. This can strengthen interactions between electrons and create conditions for unusual quantum phenomena, including new magnetic states and potentially superconducting phases.
The researchers found that the proposed lattice supports three flat energy bands in which electrons can become highly localised. These states, known as compact localised states, remain confined to small clusters of atoms rather than spreading throughout the material.
A key finding is that applying a magnetic field can alter these states and drive the system through a topological phase transition. In the resulting phase, the material could behave as an electrical insulator in its interior while supporting conducting states along its edges.
Such edge states can be relatively resistant to certain material imperfections, making them of interest for research into electronic transport and future quantum technologies.
Explaining the research, Dr Biplab Pal, assistant professor in the Department of Physics at Nagaland University, said the study uses lattice geometry to control quantum behaviour.
The arrangement of atoms in the proposed structure can confine electrons and produce multiple flat bands, while an external magnetic field can tune these states and drive the system into a topological phase, he said.
Dr Joydeep Majhi, a former postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science at IIT Bombay, explained that the geometry of specially structured materials can cause different electron pathways to cancel one another, confining electrons rather than allowing them to travel freely.
The researchers said the work remains theoretical and is based on computer simulations. Experimental studies will be needed to establish whether the predicted behaviour can be reproduced under practical conditions.
The proposed lattice could potentially be explored using photonic lattices, in which light simulates electron behaviour, and ultracold atomic systems. Further research could investigate whether related structures can support other quantum phases and whether these states can remain stable at higher temperatures.
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