Schematic representation of the device used for the experiment. The re-entrant quantum Hall effect, in which the electrical resistance goes back and forth when the magnetic field is increased, is a signature of the parity anomaly. (Image: Li-Xian Wang / University of Würzburg)Experimental and theoretical physicists at the Würzburg Institute for Topological Insulators have identified an unusual quantum Hall effect in a mercury telluride device as the signature of the parity anomaly.
Topological insulators are materials that can conduct electricity, but only on their surface or edges. No current flows inside them. They are the subject of intensive research worldwide because they have unique electronic properties that are interesting for improving the efficiency of quantum computers, for example, and for other technologies such as encryption and the secure transmission of data. ...
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