Researchers at NIST have successfully imaged quantum Hall (QH) edge states in graphene using an atomic force microscope. These edge states, which form along the boundaries of certain ultrathin materials, exhibit remarkable durability and persistence despite various disturbances. The discovery of these states has garnered two Nobel Prizes in Physics and has potential applications in quantum computing, as they may serve as more robust alternatives to traditional quantum bits (qubits).
The NIST team’s imaging technique involved combining an atomic force microscope with a scanning tunneling microscope to examine both the atomic-scale topography and electronic structure of the QH states. Their findings suggest that these edge states have a diameter of about 10 nanometers and could potentially be used in quantum communication technologies. The researchers plan to further investigate edge states in twisted bilayer graphene, which may reveal novel properties and applications.
Keywords: edge states, quantum Hall effect, graphene, quantum materials, qubits
