Physicists have theorized that a new type of material, called a three dimensional (3-D) topological insulator (TI), could be a good candidate from which to create qubits that will be resilient from errors and protected from losing their quantum information. This material has both an insulating interior and metallic top and bottom surfaces that conduct electricity. Few studies exist that have experimentally tested how TIs behave in real life. A new study from the University of Utah has found that when the insulating layers are as thin as 16 quintuple atomic layers across, the top and bottom metallic surfaces begin to influence each other and destroy their metallic properties.
Subscribe