Subatomic particles in the quantum world often defy the familiar rules of the physical world. They can exist in two places simultaneously, pass through solid barriers, and even communicate instantly across vast distances. While these behaviors may seem impossible, they are central to the mysteries of quantum physics, where scientists continue to explore phenomena once thought impossible.
In a groundbreaking study, physicists at Brown University have discovered a new class of quantum particles called fractional excitons. These particles exhibit unexpected behaviors that could profoundly enhance our understanding of the quantum realm.
“Our findings point toward an entirely new class of quantum particles that carry no overall charge but follow unique quantum statistics,” said Jia Li, an associate professor of physics at Brown. “The most exciting part is that this discovery unlocks a range of novel quantum phases of matter, presenting a new frontier for future research, deepening our understanding of fundamental physics, and even opening up new possibilities in quantum computation.”
Along with Li, the research was carried out by three graduate students — Naiyuan Zhang, Ron Nguyen and Navketan Batra — and Dima Feldman, a professor of physics at Brown. Zhang, Nguyen, and Batra are co-first authors of the paper, published today (January 8) in Nature.
This is a big deal.
To read more, click here.