New state of matter detected in a two-dimensional material

Researchers have observed the 'fingerprint' of a mysterious new quantum state of matter in a two-dimensional material, in which electrons break apart. It's an important step for our understanding of quantum matter. Dmitry Kovrizhin An international team of researchers have found evidence of a mysterious new state of matter, first predicted 40 years ago, in a real material. This state, known as a quantum spin liquid, causes electrons - thought to be indivisible building blocks of nature - to break into pieces. The researchers, including physicists from the University of Cambridge, measured the first signatures of these fractional particles, known as Majorana fermions, in a two-dimensional material with a structure similar to graphene. Their experimental results successfully matched with one of the main theoretical models for a quantum spin liquid, known as a Kitaev model. The results are reported .