Bosonic Correlated Insulators
- Anna Oliva
- Jun 13, 2023
- 1 min read
States of matter appear inarguable. The classics, liquid, solid, gas, and the less-mentioned plasma permanently established in the realm of science. However, physicists have discovered a new state of matter, namely, bosonic correlated insulators.
They are a type of moiré, which are lattices arranged to create a three-dimensional overlapping pattern of slightly offset layers. These insulators are crystals made of bosons consisting of electrons and electron holes that are bonded through Coulomb force, called excitons. It is more common to study what happens when fermions come together since bosons generally either don’t interact or interact for very short periods. Therefore, structures created with bosons are already harder to come by, much less those considered a new state.
Bosonic correlated insulators are a reminder of the constant possibility of discovery in physics and that the discipline doesn’t only consist of answering old questions, but also discovering entirely novel paths forward.
Further reading on bosonic correlated insulators:
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