Physicists in Germany have managed to film electrons pulling off unusual quantum jumps in graphene, a material famous for being just one atom thick.
Using a new type of slow-motion electron camera, they watched these surprising moves happen in real time, revealing how strong electric fields can push electrons into new energy states.
This breakthrough could help make future electronics even faster.
Microscope tracks electrons, suggests light control
The team used a special microscope with ultrafast lasers to track how electrons move when hit with intense light, thanks to ultrapure graphene samples that kept the view crystal clear.
Their new method lets scientists watch electron behavior as it happens and could let us control electronic properties using light alone.
As Giacomo Inzani put it, their method can be applied to many other quantum materials, opening up completely new possibilities for controlling their electronic properties selectively with light.