Researchers at Brown University in the US have observed fractional excitons, a new class of quantum materials in a global first. These particles that defy traditional understanding of quantum mechanics could have massive implications for developing quantum computers in the future, a press release said.

Beyond the realm of the physical world, where particles are involved in simple roles like carrying charge or existing as matter, there is the quantum world, where particles pass through solid barriers or communicate via large distances even though they are not connected in any manner.

Scientists are exploring the mechanics of this world so that they can be used to advance technologies like computing and sensing. However, so much remains unknown and is waiting to be discovered, like the fractional excitons that Brown University researchers observed for the first time recently.

In quantum mechanics, an exciton is a particle formed by the combination of an electron and a positive hole to which it is attracted. Excitons carry no charge, so they are hard to detect. From theoretical calculations, scientists know that even fractional excitons exist, but detecting them is even harder.

This is where Brown researchers used the fractional Quantum Hall effect. As per the classical Quantum Hall effect, when an electric current is applied to a material placed in a magnetic field, it produces a sideways voltage.

This phenomenon occurs at extremely low temperatures and high magnetic fields, with voltage increases occurring in clear, separate jumps. In the fractional Quantum Hall effect, the jumps occur in fractional amounts. The researchers applied this knowledge to observe fractional electrons.

Using two layers of graphene, the researchers created a two-dimensional nanomaterial that was separated by an insulating material, boron nitride. This aided in carefully controlling the electrical charges and generating excitons in the experimental setup.

The system was then exposed to strong magnetic fields, millions of times stronger than Earth's, and fractional exciton flow was observed.

Particles typically exist in two categories: bosons and fermions. Bosons can share quantum states, whereas fermions do not. Fractional excitons did not exclusively display either of these behaviors but a combination of the two.

Anyons are particles that also exhibit behavior that is similar to that of bosons and fermions, but fractional excitons display properties that are different from anyons as well.

"This unexpected behavior suggests fractional excitons could represent an entirely new class of particles with unique quantum properties," said Naiyuan Zhang, a graduate student at Brown University, in the press release.

The development is exciting since it can help in powering quantum computing. Considered the next generation of advanced computing, quantum computing is being held back by the " noise " problem that can overwhelm the systems.

Since fractional excitons have less noise, they can be used to create systems that do not get easily overwhelmed.

"We've essentially unlocked a new dimension for exploring and manipulating this phenomenon, and we're only beginning to scratch the surface," added Jia Li, an associate professor of physics at Brown. "This is the first time we've shown that these types of particles exist experimentally, and now we are delving deeper into what might come from them."