Unconventional quasiparticles predicted in conventional crystals
Thursday, July 21, 2016 - 13:12
in Physics & Chemistry
An international team of researchers has predicted the existence of several previously unknown types of quantum particles in materials. The particles—which belong to the class of particles known as fermions—can be distinguished by several intrinsic properties, such as their responses to applied magnetic and electric fields. In several cases, fermions in the interior of the material show their presence on the surface via the appearance of electron states called Fermi arcs, which link the different types of fermion states in the material's bulk.