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Thousands of exotic ‘topological’ materials discovered through sweeping search

Haul thrills physicists, who previously knew of just a few hundred of these peculiar materials.
  1. Elizabeth Gibney
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The already buzzing field of topological physics could be about to explode. For the first time, researchers have systematically scoured through entire databases of materials in search of ones that harbour topological states — exotic phases of matter that have fascinated physicists for a decade. The results show that thousands of known materials probably have topological properties — and perhaps up to 24% of materials in all. Previously, researchers knew of just a few hundred topological materials, and only around a dozen have been studied in detail.

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Nature 560, 151-152 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05913-4

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 17 August 2018: An earlier version of this article said that the properties of a topological insulator were first seen experimentally in bismuth antimony in 2008. In fact, the property was first observed in mercury telluride in 2007. The text has been amended to reflect this.

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