A collaboration between Stuart Parkin's group at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle (Saale) and Claudia Felser's group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden has realized a fundamentally new way to control quantum particles in solids. Writing in Nature, the researchers report the experimental demonstration of a chiral fermionic valve—a device that spatially separates quantum particles of opposite chirality using quantum geometry alone, without magnetic fields or magnetic materials.

Phys is a blog or publication focused on physics, science, and mathematics. Readers can explore articles covering topics such as quantum mechanics, relativity, and cosmology. Additionally, they can learn about mathematical concepts, scientific theories, and the latest research in physics.

Phys.org

Researchers at Max Planck Institutes have demonstrated a chiral fermionic valve that spatially separates quantum particles by chirality using quantum geometry alone, without requiring magnetic fields or materials. The device, built from PdGa topological semimetal crystals, deflects fermions of opposite chirality into different paths by exploiting the quantum geometry of electronic wavefunctions. The team observed quantum interference of chiral currents over distances exceeding 15 micrometers and demonstrated electrical control of current-induced orbital magnetization. This breakthrough establishes a new control mechanism for quantum particles and opens pathways toward chiral quantum electronics where information is encoded using the handedness of quantum states.

A new valve for quantum matter: Steering chiral fermions by geometry alone

Quantum geometry as a new control principle

Current-induced magnetization and quantum interference