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An insulating material that is a conductor at its edges

14.06.2018

Physicists at the University of Zurich have discovered a material that belongs to a new class of higher-order topological insulators. The faces of crystalline solids made of these materials conduct electrical current with almost no resistance, while the rest of the material remains an insulator. Such unique properties of new materials can be very useful for creating new types of electronic devices and, of course, for creating quantum computing systems.

Topology, a science that is part of materials science, deals with the study of the properties of solid particles and bodies protected from deformations and the effects of various external factors. One of the directions of this science is the study of topological insulators, crystalline materials that conduct electric current only in the surface layer. At the same time, due to some physical effects, conductive surfaces cannot be transferred to an insulating state.

Theoretical calculations carried out by physicists have shown that the properties of higher-order topological insulators must be extremely stable. In other words, the electrical conductivity of the crystal faces should not be affected by impurities and other disturbances of the crystal lattice. In addition, the crystal faces do not need additional processing or any initiation to obtain conductive properties. And even if the crystal suddenly breaks, the electric current will still continue to flow through it along the newly formed faces.

These studies are now mostly in the theoretical field. But researchers have already proposed one material that could be a higher-order topological insulator, tin telluride. "Soon we will find other materials with similar properties" - says Professor Titus Neupert (Titus Neupert), - "The edges of these materials will work as a kind of "highway" for electrons, i.e. they can be used as moreover, topological insulators can be combined with magnetic, semiconductor and superconducting materials, which will allow them to be used to create quantum computers."

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