Imagine if electricity could flow without resistance, or if computers could process data at unimaginable speeds.
Achieving this dream requires new kinds of materials that follow the strange rules of quantum physics—the laws that govern particles far smaller than atoms.
But designing these “quantum materials” isn’t easy, because much of their behavior is still unknown.
Now, scientists from the University of Geneva, working with colleagues from Italy’s University of Salerno and the CNR-SPIN Institute, have made an important breakthrough.
They have discovered a hidden geometry inside materials that bends the path of electrons—similar to how gravity bends light around massive objects in space.
Their results, published in the journal Science, may open the door to a new generation of electronic devices.
For the past century, exploring the world of electrons, atoms, and photons has fueled enormous advances, from the invention of the transistor to the rise of modern computing.
Yet quantum physics continues to reveal surprises.
Researchers have long suspected that under certain conditions, particles inside materials might follow paths shaped by a kind of internal geometry. This idea, called the “quantum metric,” describes how the space in which electrons move can curve and distort.
Although the concept was introduced about 20 years ago, for a long time it was treated as a purely mathematical idea. Only recently have scientists begun to uncover its physical effects on real materials.
The Geneva team, led by Professor Andrea Caviglia, has now provided the clearest evidence yet of the quantum metric.
Working with Associate Professor Carmine Ortix in Salerno, they studied the boundary between two oxides—strontium titanate and lanthanum aluminate. This interface is already known to host unusual quantum effects.
By applying intense magnetic fields, the researchers observed electrons moving along curved paths that could only be explained by the presence of the quantum metric.
This finding shows that the quantum metric isn’t just a rare quirk of exotic materials. Instead, it may be a built-in property of many solids. That realization could dramatically expand the search for useful applications.
Why does this matter?
Because understanding the quantum metric gives scientists a powerful new tool for designing materials with extraordinary properties.
It could help create faster electronic devices operating at terahertz frequencies—trillions of cycles per second. It could also improve superconductors, which conduct electricity without energy loss, and enhance how materials interact with light.
As Professor Caviglia explains, exploring this hidden geometry is like discovering a new map for the quantum world.
And with that map, researchers may be able to engineer technologies that transform how we compute, communicate, and power the future.
