Researchers at NIST have developed a magnetic switch that can turn on and off a quantum phenomenon called the Berry phase. This discovery could lead to new quantum electronic devices.
The Berry phase is a quantum property where an electron’s physical state changes after completing a closed path, even if it returns to its original location. NIST physicists used electrons confined in special orbits within a nanometer-sized region of graphene to study this property.
The researchers found that when a critical magnetic field strength is reached, it acts as a switch, altering the shape of the electron orbits and causing the Berry phase to switch on or off. This magnetic switch provides a new tool for studying quantum phenomena and could lead to new quantum devices with no analog in conventional semiconductor systems.
Keywords: Berry phase, Quantum devices, Electron orbits, Quantum energy levels
