New state of quantum matter discovered

Europa Press

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, p. 6

Madrid. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have discovered a new state of quantum matter, similar to how water can exist in liquid, ice, or vapor.

This state exists in a material that the team believes could usher in a new era of self-charging computers capable of withstanding the challenges of deep space travel.

It had only been predicted theoretically; no one had measured it until now , said Luis A. Jáuregui, a professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine and corresponding author of the new paper published in Physical Review Letters , in a statement.

This new phase is like a liquid composed of electrons and their counterparts, known as holes , which spontaneously pair up and form exotic states known as excitons. Unusually, the electrons and holes spin together in the same direction.

It would emit a bright light

"It's a novelty in itself ," Jáuregui said. "If we could hold it in our hands, it would emit a bright, high-frequency light ."

The phase exists in a material developed at the University of California, Irvine, by Jinyu Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in Jáuregui's lab and first author on the paper. Jáuregui and his team measured the phase using high magnetic fields at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

The key to creating the new quantum matter was applying a high-intensity magnetic field of up to 70 teslas to the material (by comparison, the magnetic field of a strong refrigerator magnet is about 0.1 teslas), which the team calls hafnium pentatellide.

Jáuregui explained that as his team applied the magnetic field, the material's ability to carry electricity suddenly decreases, showing that it has transformed into this exotic state. This discovery is important because it could allow signals to be transmitted by spin rather than by electric charge, opening a new path toward energy-efficient technologies such as spin-based electronics or quantum devices , Jáuregui stated. Unlike conventional materials used in electronics, this new quantum matter is unaffected by any form of radiation, making it an ideal candidate for space travel.

It could be useful for space missions , Jáuregui explained. If we're looking for long-lasting computers in space, this is one way to achieve it .