Quantum leap, minus the rare earths

What if the future of technology isn’t about new materials, but how we stack and twist them?

A new kind of crystal has been discovered by scientists that could both power faster, greener electronics, and be a catalyst for the rapid advancement of quantum computing.

Researchers at Rutgers University have formed a new type of material made by stacking twisted layers of graphene on hexagonal boron nitride.

They are basically a combination of crystals and quasi-crystals with unique patterns and properties.

Geometry shapes electron flow

These structures are important because their properties of superconductivity and magnetism could change how the electrons move.

This could lead to more energy and power-efficient electronic components, which would open the door for better quantum computing materials.

Quantum computers rely on delicate and efficient materials, so this kind of advanced engineering should bode well.

Where previously altering the chemical properties of materials was the name of the game – now twisting and stacking layers of these intercrystals – dubbed “twistronics” – means a greener and more agile state of circuitry.

Replacing rare earth metals

Also in the green zone are the facts that the materials are made from common, non-toxic elements such as carbon, boron, and nitrogen.

These are more sustainable than rare-earth-based tech, which can use industrial and occasionally toxic materials such as neodymium and cerium.

This, in turn, will lead to low-energy loss circuits and provide ultra-sensitive sensors for healthcare, environmental monitoring, and navigation.

This discovery opens the door to engineering entirely new phases of matter through atomic-scale geometry.