![]() However, the object couldn’t lose the hole without changing into a fundamentally different shape.Įmploying insights from topology, researchers developed the first electronic topological insulators in 2007. ![]() For instance, an object shaped like a doughnut can be deformed into the shape of a mug, so that the doughnut’s hole becomes the hole in the cup’s handle. Topology is the branch of mathematics that explores the nature of shapes independent of deformation. As confusing as these strange and sometimes outlandish compounds might be at the moment, researchers have found that these materials can possess exceptional properties that could be developed into future technologies. Topological insulators’ unusual name stems from their being insulating on the inside and conductive on the outside: On the outer boundaries of a topological insulator, electricity or (in some cases) light flows readily around corners and defects, and with virtually no losses.Īmazingly, topological insulators appear to be only the first of a possible generation of exotic electrical and optical semimetals, superconductors, and other forms of matter. Ever since a new class of materials called topological insulators was first created-a discovery that helped win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016-researchers have been intrigued by the possibilities for electronics applications such as ultralow-energy transistors, cancer-scanning lasers, and free-space communication beyond 5G.
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