By taking two flakes of special materials that are just one atom thick and twisting them at high angles, researchers at the University of Rochester have unlocked unique optical properties that could be used in quantum computers and other quantum technologies. Until now, scientists have explored the optical and electrical properties of 2D materials when layered on top of one another and twisted at very small angles (typically 1.1 degree). In this study, the researchers twisted layers of a 2D material, called molybdenum diselenide, at up to 40 degrees, and found that the resulting structure produced excitons – essentially, artificial atoms – that can act as quantum information bits, or qubits, and can retain information when activated by light. The research was conducted at the University of Rochester’s Integrated Nanosystems Center.
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