Nagaland University and IIT Bombay propose a new lattice design to control quantum states.
DIMAPUR — Researchers from Nagaland University and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have proposed a new two-dimensional lattice architecture that offers a simpler method to control quantum states using magnetic fields.
According to a press release, the system could aid development in quantum sensors, programmable quantum devices, and advanced quantum materials.
The researchers demonstrated that the platform can control electrical transmission linked to its magnetic state, presenting new approaches for information processing and electronic transport.
The study introduces an atomic arrangement called the diamond-dodecagon lattice. Through computer-based simulations, the researchers observed that the structure confines electrons to small regions, creating flat bands where restricted electron movement enables stronger interactions to potentially produce novel forms of matter.
The study, co-authored by Dr. Biplab Pal from Nagaland University and Dr. Joydeep Majhi from IIT Bombay, was published in the ‘Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter' and funded through a Minor Start-up Research Grant from Nagaland University.
Also read: Nagaland University study examines plastic-waste behaviour
Climate holds key to healthier tea soils — Nagaland University study
Explaining the findings, Dr. Biplab Pal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Nagaland University, said, “The objective is to use the lattice geometry as a tool to control the quantum behaviour. In the proposed diamond-dodecagon lattice, the arrangement of atoms itself can confine electrons and produce multiple flat bands. We further show that an external magnetic field can be used to tune these states and drive the system into a topological phase, providing a potentially useful platform for future quantum technologies.”
Dr. Joydeep Majhi, a former postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science at IIT Bombay, added, “In ordinary materials, electrons can move through the material and carry electrical energy. However, in certain specially structured systems, the geometry of the material can cause different pathways available to an electron to cancel one another. As a result, the electron becomes confined to a small region rather than travelling freely through the material.”
The simulations established that the proposed lattice supports three flat energy bands hosting compact localised states. Manipulating these states via magnetic flux induces a topological phase transition, enabling the material to act as an electrical insulator internally while maintaining conducting pathways along its edges that resist material imperfections.
The researchers stated that the theoretical model relies primarily on lattice geometry and magnetic fields rather than complex chemical compositions.
They noted that experimental realisation through photonic lattices or ultracold atomic systems remains the next objective to determine whether the predicted states can function under practical conditions and higher temperatures.