Brown University Researchers Discover New Class of Quantum Particles

Scientists at Brown University have made a groundbreaking discovery of fractional excitons, a new class of quantum materials, marking a world-first accomplishment. These particles could significantly advance quantum computing technologies, as reported in a recent press release from the university.

Fractional excitons are formed by the coupling of electrons with positive holes and are notoriously difficult to detect because they carry no charge. Researchers leveraged the fractional Quantum Hall effect, observing these excitons using a two-dimensional nanomaterial composed of layers of graphene separated by boron nitride, exposed to intense magnetic fields.

"This unexpected behavior suggests fractional excitons could represent an entirely new class of particles with unique quantum properties," said Naiyuan Zhang, a graduate student at Brown. The implications of this discovery are promising, particularly because fractional excitons emit less noise, potentially leading to more resilient quantum computing systems.

Publication of the research findings in the journal Nature underscores their significance, paving the way for further exploration of these particles and their properties.