Researchers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick have made an exciting breakthrough in material science, developing a new synthetic quantum structure that could advance the field of quantum computing. The structure, made from two materials—dysprosium titanate and pyrochlore iridate—was once considered impossible to create. These materials are key because of their unique quantum properties, which could help develop more efficient and stable quantum devices. This discovery, published in Nano Letters, could lead to advancements in quantum sensors and spintronic devices, which are essential for next-generation technology.

The team, led by Professor Jak Chakhalian, developed a method to merge these two materials into a “quantum sandwich,” with one layer of dysprosium titanate, a material known for creating magnetic monopoles, and another layer of pyrochlore iridate, a Weyl semimetal. Magnetic monopoles are rare particles that behave like magnets with only one pole, unlike the typical north and south poles. On the other hand, Weyl fermions in pyrochlore iridate are relativistic particles that behave like light, with properties that make them excellent conductors of electricity and responsive to magnetic fields. These characteristics make the materials incredibly stable and suitable for quantum computing.

To create this unique structure, the team used a special device called Q-DiP (Quantum Phenomena Discovery Platform), which incorporates infrared laser heaters to build materials layer by layer at atomic scales. This allowed them to explore the intricate quantum properties of the materials at ultra-cold temperatures near absolute zero. Combining these properties in a single material could lead to better quantum sensors, which have a wide range of applications, from medical research to artificial intelligence.

Quantum computing relies on the principles of quantum mechanics, using quantum bits or qubits that can exist in multiple states at once, making it much more powerful than traditional computing. Their discovery could significantly impact how quantum computers are built, improving the stability and efficiency of quantum devices. As quantum technology becomes more practical, it is expected to revolutionize industries such as drug discovery, finance, logistics, and artificial intelligence, bringing tremendous benefits to society.

References

• MacPherson, K. & Rutgers University. (2025, April 1). Scientists merge two ‘impossible’ materials into new artificial structure. Phys.Org; Rutgers University. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-scientists-merge-impossible-materials-artificial.html
• Kareev, M., Liu, X., Terilli, M., Wen, F., Wu, T.-C., Doughty, D., Li, H., Zhou, J., Zhang, Q., Gu, L., & Chakhalian, J. (2025). Epitaxial stabilization of a pyrochlore interface between weyl semimetal and spin ice. Nano Letters, 25(3), 966–972. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03969