Michael Woodford, John Bates Clark Professor of Political Economy at Columbia University | Columbia University
Michael Woodford, John Bates Clark Professor of Political Economy at Columbia University | Columbia University
Researchers from Columbia University, Nanjing University, Princeton, and the University of Munster have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of physics. The team, led by Lingjie Du, has presented the first experimental evidence of collective excitations with spin called chiral graviton modes (CGMs) in a semiconducting material.
Du expressed the significance of their findings, stating, "Our experiment marks the first experimental substantiation of this concept of gravitons, posited by pioneering works in quantum gravity since the 1930s, in a condensed matter system."
The research, published in the journal Nature, is a significant step towards bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theories of relativity. Ziyu Liu, one of the lead researchers, emphasized the importance of this discovery by saying, "For a long time, there was this mystery about how long wavelength collective modes, like CGMs, could be probed in experiments. We provide experimental evidence that supports quantum geometry predictions."
The study not only sheds light on the existence of graviton-like particles but also honors the legacy of the late Columbia professor Aron Pinczuk. Ursula Wurstbauer, a co-author of the study, paid tribute to Pinczuk's contributions, stating, “Aron pioneered the approach of studying exotic phases of matter, including emergent quantum phases in solid-state nanosystems."
The team's innovative approach involved adapting techniques established by Pinczuk, such as low-temperature resonant inelastic scattering, to observe the behavior of CGMs using circularly polarized light. This method allowed them to confirm the presence of CGMs in the semiconducting material.
The discovery of CGMs in a fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) liquid opens up new possibilities for further research in the field of physics. The results of this study could potentially connect the realms of high-energy physics and condensed matter physics, offering a deeper understanding of the fundamental forces governing the universe.
As the scientific community celebrates this milestone, the researchers involved in the study are hopeful that their findings will pave the way for future investigations into the properties of collective particles in various quantum systems.
The paper, titled "Evidence for chiral graviton modes in fractional quantum Hall liquids," published in Nature, marks a significant advancement in the field of physics and sets the stage for further exploration into the mysteries of quantum materials.
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