NIST researchers hear puzzling new physics from graphene quartet's quantum harmonies
Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 06:56
in Physics & Chemistry
Using a one-of-a-kind instrument designed and built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an international team of researchers have 'unveiled' a quartet of graphene's electron states and discovered that electrons in graphene can split up into an unexpected and tantalising set of energy levels when exposed to extremely low temperatures and extremely high magnetic fields. Published in this week's issue of Nature, the new research raises several intriguing questions about the fundamental physics of this exciting material and reveals new effects that may make graphene even more powerful than previously expected for practical applications...