Miracle material’s hidden quantum power could transform future electronics: Study

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough by directly observing Floquet effects in graphene for the first time, settling a long-standing scientific debate about light-controlled quantum materials.

Graphene: The Miracle Material

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms just one atom thick, demonstrates remarkable stability and exceptional electrical conductivity. These properties have earned it the “miracle material” designation, with current applications being explored in flexible electronics, sensitive sensors, advanced batteries, and next-generation solar cells.

The latest research from the University of Gottingen, conducted with teams from Braunschweig, Bremen, and Fribourg, reveals graphene’s even greater potential through Floquet engineering.

Direct Evidence of Floquet States

For the first time, researchers have directly observed Floquet effects in graphene, confirming that light pulses can precisely modify material properties in metallic and semimetallic quantum materials. The findings, published in Nature Physics, resolve a long-running scientific question.

The team employed femtosecond momentum microscopy to capture extremely rapid changes in electronic behavior. Graphene samples were illuminated with rapid light bursts and examined with delayed pulses to track electron responses over ultrashort timescales.

“Our measurements clearly prove that ‘Floquet effects’ occur in the photoemission spectrum of graphene,” stated Marco Merboldt, the study’s first author from the University of Gottingen.

Dr. Marco added, “This makes it clear that Floquet engineering actually works in these systems—and the potential of this discovery is huge.” The results demonstrate Floquet engineering’s effectiveness across a wide range of materials, bringing scientists closer to shaping quantum materials with specific characteristics using laser pulses.

Future Applications and Implications

The ability to precisely tune materials with light could revolutionize future electronics, computing systems, and advanced sensor technologies.

Professor Marcel Reutzel, who co-led the project with Professor Stefan Mathias, explained: “Our results open up new ways of controlling electronic states in quantum materials with light. This could lead to technologies in which electrons are manipulated in a targeted and controlled manner.”

“What is particularly exciting is that this also enables us to investigate topological properties,” Reutzel continued. “These are special, very stable properties which have great potential for developing reliable quantum computers or new sensors for the future.”

The research received support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) through Gottingen University’s Collaborative Research Centre “Control of Energy Conversion at Atomic Scales.”