Specialists can create quantum matter from the void

Scientists from the American Rice University have developed an optical cavity capable of changing the properties of materials without the use of strong magnetic fields.

Such a discovery could lead to a breakthrough in quantum technologies and the creation of new materials with unusual characteristics.

The new study is published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

The team used weakly doped indium antimonide to create a chiral cavity – a special structure that selectively amplifies quantum vacuum fluctuations.

Unlike traditional approaches that require powerful magnetic fields, the new design allows us to achieve similar effects with minimal external influence.

Experiments have shown that placed in such a cavity graphene acquires the properties of a topological insulator – a material extremely promising for quantum computing.

Theoretically, other substances can be modified similarly, opening the way to the creation of fundamentally new materials.

“Our work demonstrates how the quantum properties of the vacuum can be used to control matter. This is a fundamental step towards developing the next generation of quantum devices,” commented Professor Junichiro Kono on the study.