New quantum state boosts material's conductivity by a billion percent

A new material has exhibited colossal magnetoresistance, switching its electrical conductivity by a billion percent in response to a magnetic field. Depositphotos
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By Michael Irving
2023 Feb 26

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Scientists at Georgia Tech have discovered a new quantum state in a quirky material. In a phenomenon never before seen in anything else, the team found that applying a magnetic field increased the material’s electrical conductivity by a billion percent.

Some materials are known to change their conductivity in response to a changing magnetic field, a property called magnetoresistance. But in the new study, the material does so to an incredible degree, exhibiting colossal magnetoresistance.

The material is an alloy of manganese, silicon and tellurium, which takes the form of octagonal cells arranged in a honeycomb pattern, and stacked in sheets. Electrons move around the outside of those octagons, but when there’s no magnetic field applied they travel in random directions, causing a traffic jam. That effectively makes the material act like an insulator.

But when the magnetic field is applied, the electrons begin moving in a set direction, allowing them to flow quickly and generate an electrical current. That makes it a very effective conductor – in fact, it’s a seven magnitude increase in conductivity. To put it another way, that’s a boost of one billion percent.

Most intriguingly, this switch only works if the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the surface of the material. In all other known materials that show magnetoresistance, the angle of the magnetic field doesn’t make a difference to the strength of the effect.

“The phenomenon defies all existing theoretical models and experimental precedents,” said Itamar Kimchi, an author of the study.

In other experiments, the team found that the switch can also be triggered by applying an electrical current. This happens slower, taking a few seconds or minutes to make the transition.

The team says that this second version could be more immediately applicable to quantum devices, such as computers, sensors and communication systems. But before then, more research will need to be conducted to better understand this new quantum state, and investigate other materials that might work in the same way.

The research was published in the journal Nature.

Source: Georgia Tech

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Materials new material Quantum Electricity Resistant Georgia Tech
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Michael Irving

Michael has always been fascinated by space, technology, dinosaurs, and the weirder mysteries of the universe. With a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and several years experience under his belt, he joined New Atlas as a staff writer in 2016.
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9 comments

vince – 2023 Feb 27 – 07:26 AM

Very interesting. Might it be possible to essentially make a super conductor material this way by application of magnetic fields to proper materials?

peter423 – 2023 Feb 27 – 08:24 AM

a billion is a big number, but does it mean anything? how does this new material compare to copper?
We took a stone from the beach and increased its conductivity a billion percent! it still cant light a LED .

notarichman – 2023 Feb 27 – 08:27 AM

this is the strangest thing i’ve heard of since “spooky things at a distance”. i wonder how it could be used?

Cryptonoetic – 2023 Feb 27 – 09:17 AM

My mistake… Forgot “%” counts for a couple more zeroes.

vince – 2023 Feb 27 – 09:27 AM

It would be cool if they could amplify conductivity trillions of time such that the material becomes a super conductor with little resistance. Now that would be exciting and the holy grail of solar and wind because then you could export the power anywhere to the US without few losses.

landexameye – 2023 Feb 27 – 08:02 PM

https://www.ijert.org/research/lossless-and-efficient-transmission-of-electrical-energy-using-nanotechnology-IJERTV3IS110154.pdf

Greg Fenlong – 2023 Feb 28 – 04:48 PM

“more research will need to be CONDUCTED…” Well done.

Eggster – 2023 Mar 01 – 09:26 AM

We need more info to put this into perspective. That said, I wonder if this could be used to create an energy efficient rheostat?

dcris – 2023 Mar 01 – 10:16 AM

One of the avenues to pure magnetic powered devices to produce electricity. It’s gonna appear out of the wood works in the next decade…as soon as the money moguls are brought to justice and science is no longer funded for pure profit. Tesla Thinking will rise like never before. I am NOT even surprised by this article one molecule.
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