By Amit Malewar Published: October 31, 2025
Collected at: https://www.techexplorist.com/quantum-oscillations-found-coming-from-within/101363/
Quantum oscillations are like the rhythmic dance of electrons in a metal when exposed to a magnetic field. By applying a magnetic field, researchers can change the speed with which those electron springs wiggle.
But here’s the twist: these oscillations have also been observed in insulators, materials that don’t conduct electricity or heat. That’s like hearing a symphony in a room with no instruments.
For years, scientists wondered: are these oscillations just a surface trick, or do they come from deep within the material?
Lu Li, Professor of Physics, Interim Chair of Physics Department, and an international team of researchers have observed quantum oscillations, usually a hallmark of metals, in a material that’s supposed to be an insulator. Their findings, published in Physical Review Letters, challenge long-held assumptions and deepen a mystery that’s been puzzling physicists for years.
“I would love to claim that there’s a great application, but my work keeps pushing that dream further away,” said Li, professor of physics at the University of Michigan. “But what we’ve found is still really bizarre and exciting.”
To find out, Li’s team turned to the National Magnetic Field Laboratory, home to the world’s most powerful magnet. Using a compound called ytterbium boride (YbB₁₂), they cranked the magnetic field up to 35 Tesla, about 35 times stronger than an MRI machine.
“Effectively, we’re showing that this naive picture where we envisioned a surface with good conduction that’s feasible to use in electronics is completely wrong,” Li said. “It’s the whole compound that behaves like a metal even though it’s an insulator.”
That behavior, the team found, comes from the bulk of the material, not just the surface.
“I wish I knew what to do with that, but at this stage, we have no idea,” Li added. “What we have right now is experimental evidence of a remarkable phenomenon; we’ve recorded it and, hopefully, at some point, we’ll realize how to use it.”
Li sees this as part of a broader shift in physics. A century ago, quantum mechanics revealed that light and matter could exhibit both particle and wave behavior, a phenomenon known as duality. Now, he believes we’re entering an era of “new duality,” where materials can act as both conductors and insulators.
“For years, scientists have pursued the answer to a fundamental question about the carrier origin in this exotic insulator: Is it from the bulk or the surface, intrinsic or extrinsic?” said Kuan-Wen Chen, a research fellow on the team. “We are excited to provide clear evidence that it is bulk and intrinsic.”
While the discovery doesn’t point to a new gadget or technology, at least not yet, it opens the door to deeper questions about how materials behave under extreme conditions.
“Confirming that the oscillations are bulk and intrinsic is exciting,” said graduate student Yuan Zhu. “We don’t yet know what kind of neutral particles are responsible for the observation. We hope our findings motivate further experiments and theoretical work.”
The U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and several Japanese science agencies supported the research.
For now, Li and his team are content to explore the weirdness.
Journal Reference:
- Kuan-Wen Chen, Yuan Zhu, Danilo Ratovski et al. Quantum Oscillations in the Heat Capacity of Kondo Insulator YbB12. Physical Review Letters. DOI: DOI: 10.1103/ms3x-pjsk
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