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| This is a depiction of the quantum Hall effect (left) and the quantum anomalous Hall effect (right). Credit: RIKEN |
The effect was discovered in 1879 by Edwin Hall. But since the electron has not yet been experimentally discovered, application and understanding of the effect had to wait.
In 1985, Klaus von Klitzing won the Noble Prize in Physics for discovering that the Hall conductivity was exactly quantized. This phenomenon, referred to as "exact quantization", has allowed for the definition of a new practical standard for electrical resistance.
The quantum Hall effect also provides an extremely precise independent determination of the fine structure constant, a quantity of fundamental importance in quantum electrodynamics.
A new route to dissipationless electronics
Realization of a new type of magnetic phase in devices opens the door to electronics based on topologically non-trivial materials
A team of researchers at RIKEN and the University of Tokyo has demonstrated a new material that promises to eliminate loss in electrical power transmission. The surprise is that their methodology for solving this classic energy problem is based upon the first realization of a highly exotic type of magnetic semiconductor first theorized less than a decade ago - a magnetic topological insulator.
Development of energy saving technologies is one of the central pursuits of modern science. From advancing alternative energy resources like wind and solar power to improving the infrastructure of the electrical power grid, this pursuit by scientists and engineers takes on a variety of forms. One focus in recent years has been eliminating energy loss in the transmission of power itself, which by some estimates consumes more than 10% of all energy being produced. The research team has demonstrated a new material - a magnetic topological insulator - that can eliminate this loss.
