Researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) have made a significant discovery: a new state of quantum matter. The team reports that this state, existing within a specific material, could lead to the advent of self-charging computers and technologies capable of withstanding the challenges of deep space travel.

Luis A. Jauregui, professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine and corresponding author of the new paper in Physical Review Letters, explained: "This is a new phase of matter, just like water can exist as liquid, ice, or vapor." He emphasized that while it has been theoretically predicted, no one had previously measured it in practice.

This new phase is formed by the spontaneous pairing of electrons and their counterparts, "holes," resulting in an exotic state known as excitons. Particularly notable is that the electrons and holes spin in the same direction. Jauregui vividly described: "If we could hold it in our hands, it would emit bright, high-frequency light."

The phase exists in a material developed by Jinyu Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in Jauregui's lab and the paper's first author. The research team measured this phase at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico using high-intensity magnetic fields up to 70 teslas. After applying the magnetic field, the material's conductivity suddenly dropped, indicating it had transitioned into this exotic state. Jauregui said: "This discovery is significant because it may allow signals to be transmitted via spin rather than charge, opening new paths for energy-efficient technologies such as spintronics or quantum devices."

Unlike traditional materials, this new quantum matter is unaffected by any form of radiation, making it an ideal candidate for space travel. Jauregui said: "It could be useful for space missions, enabling computers in space to operate durably."