Illustration: a woman looks through a microscope.

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Guy Bell / REX / REX / SIPA

The existence of a new type of quantum particles still unknown has just been suggested following observations carried out by physicists from Princeton University in the United States, reports

Numerama

.

The team of scientists observed unexpected quantum behavior in an insulator made from a material called tungsten ditelluride, says a Princeton University article on the subject.

Physicists were surprised by their observations, because they question a quantum distinction so far shared on metals and insulators.

In metallic materials, electrons are very mobile, given a low resistance to conduction.

Quantum oscillations are thus visible.

In insulating materials, the resistance is such that electrons no longer circulate and no quantum oscillation can occur.

Unexpected quantum oscillations

However, and this is the interest of this research which was the subject of a publication in the journal 

Nature

on January 4, physicists observed quantum oscillations within an insulating material.

This is tungsten telluride.

This semi-metal becomes conductive when it is thick and has a strong resistance when it is thin.

The researchers subjected a very fine version of this metal to a magnetic field.

This is how, against all expectations, they observed quantum oscillations, specifies

Numerama

.

Difficult to know yet what it is.

“If our interpretations are correct, we are observing a fundamentally new form of quantum matter.

We can now imagine a whole new quantum world hidden in insulators.

It is possible that they have simply not been identified in recent decades, ”summarized the lead author of the study, Sanfeng Wu. This is a first step.

Other studies, carried out on other metals by other researchers should make it possible to learn more about this “new form of quantum matter”.

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