New state of matter detected in a two-dimensional material

Scientists are excited over a discovery of a Quantum state of matter called Spin Liquid which was theorized 40yrs ago but never seen in real time until now. This is apparently important to Quantum computers and Quantum mechanics. According to the article Spin Liquid causes the supposedly indestructible building blocks of nature to break into pieces called Majorana fermions. These Majorana fermions can be used as building blocks of quantum computers, which would be far faster than conventional computers and would be able to perform calculations that could not be done otherwise.

An international team of researchers have found evidence of a mysterious new state of matter, first predicted 40 years ago, in a real material. This state, known as a quantum spin liquid, causes electrons -- thought to be indivisible building blocks of nature -- to break into pieces.
Quantum spin liquids are mysterious states of matter which are thought to be hiding in certain magnetic materials, but had not been conclusively sighted in nature.

The observation of one of their most intriguing properties -- electron splitting, or fractionalisation -- in real materials is a breakthrough. The resulting Majorana fermions may be used as building blocks of quantum computers, which would be far faster than conventional computers and would be able to perform calculations that could not be done otherwise.

This sounds way cool, ATS! What say you?

www.sciencedaily.com...

Crazy info. The more that I learn about what "we"have learned.. Never cease to be amazed. Way more interesting than the Tigers game I'm watching at the bar with my friend..

The smaller things get the bigger the get.

Here is an older video I found on it:

a reply to: Protector

Oh crap. I can see the Terminator is on it's way. Thanks.

a reply to: Protector

I was a bit dissapointed that the video does not go into the alleged "two dimensial material" or even mention it.

Even a single layer of anything, no matter how small still has three dimensions.

originally posted by: Deny Arrogance
a reply to: Protector

I was a bit dissapointed that the video does not go into the alleged "two dimensial material" or even mention it.

Even a single layer of anything, no matter how small still has three dimensions.

I was curious about what a two dimensional material is and found this definition:

Two-dimensional materials are substances with a thickness of a few nanometres or less. Electrons in these materials are free to move in the two-dimensional plane, but their restricted motion in the third direction is governed by quantum mechanics. Prominent examples include quantum wells and graphene.

Just a clarification since all the articles reporting on these things always misrepresent it:

Electrons are never split, they are still fundamental particles, what's happening is that in the material the charge and angular momentum travels in different directions. So if an electron introduces charge and angular momentum into the system, the charge wave is transmitted to atom 1 while the angular momentum is transmitted to atom 2, both are still properties of electrons with both charge and angular momentum, but the disturbance caused by the new electron is broken into 2.

The reason they call it a particle is because the math of quantum field theory and waves of a disturbance in a material is exactly the same.

Also, they call it 2D because the electrons in the material ate limited to traveling along only 2 dimensions, the third dimension is so small that it has no effect on the electrons behavior. It's not really 2D.

Just wanted to clear this up. It is an awesome discovery though.

Spin liquid. I've got a bottle of prop wash. Is that the same thing?

Wild stuff! I am fascinated by Quantum physics even if I can't fully understand all of it's aspects.

a reply to: Deny Arrogance

Spacetime is two-dimensional until observed.

Sorry.

a reply to: Quaria

Thanks for breaking it down and clearing things up for us laymen. I can sort of visualize what's happening now... I won't ever comprehend all the ins and outs, but it keeps me interested none the less