Physicists have created a two-dimensional quantum material that was predicted over a decade ago. This breakthrough brings scientists closer to developing practical quantum devices that work at room temperature.
Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University in Finland led this effort. Associate Professor Kezilbeiek Shawulienu worked with Professors Peter Liljeroth and Jose Lado to achieve this.
Creating a New Quantum Material
The team made the material by growing a very thin film. This film had just two layers of tin telluride (SnTe). It was placed on top of a niobium diselenide (NbSe2) substrate.
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Unique Quantum States Emerge
Their tests showed pairs of conducting edge states. These are special paths that electrons take along the material's edges. These paths are protected by the crystal's structure. This is a key feature of topological crystalline insulators.
These conducting edge states appear within a large electronic band gap, over 0.2 electron volts (eV). The tin telluride film is squeezed by the layer beneath it. This strain is crucial for keeping the material in its special topological state.
Even more importantly, the researchers found they could change these edge states by adjusting the strain. This offers a way to control the material's electronic behavior for future technologies.
Future of Quantum Electronics
Quantum calculations confirmed that these edge states are topological. The team also looked at how nearby edge states interact. They found that their energy levels shift due to electrical forces and quantum tunneling.
Because the material has a large band gap, its special properties should stay stable even at room temperature. This makes it a promising material for developing new spin-based electronics and tiny devices.
The findings were published in Nature Communications.
Deep Dive & References
Strain-induced two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator in bilayer SnTe - Nature Communications, 2026
