![]() ![]() However, the object couldn’t lose the hole without changing into a fundamentally different shape.Įmploying insights from topology, researchers developed the first electronic topological insulators in 2007. For instance, an object shaped like a doughnut can be deformed into the shape of a mug, so that the doughnut’s hole becomes the hole in the cup’s handle. Topology is the branch of mathematics that explores the nature of shapes independent of deformation. ![]() As confusing as these strange and sometimes outlandish compounds might be at the moment, researchers have found that these materials can possess exceptional properties that could be developed into future technologies. ![]() Topological insulators’ unusual name stems from their being insulating on the inside and conductive on the outside: On the outer boundaries of a topological insulator, electricity or (in some cases) light flows readily around corners and defects, and with virtually no losses.Īmazingly, topological insulators appear to be only the first of a possible generation of exotic electrical and optical semimetals, superconductors, and other forms of matter. Ever since a new class of materials called topological insulators was first created-a discovery that helped win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016-researchers have been intrigued by the possibilities for electronics applications such as ultralow-energy transistors, cancer-scanning lasers, and free-space communication beyond 5G. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |