Scientists at MIT have identified distinct mechanisms governing how two coexisting electron phases emerge and recover in a quantum material called erbium tritelluride. The research, led by Nuh Gedik and appearing in Nature Physics, employed laser-based techniques to study the material’s electronic behavior at temperatures approaching absolute zero.
Erbium tritelluride exhibits a unique property where electrons organize into two perpendicular wave-like patterns known as charge density waves when sufficiently cooled. At approximately -8 degrees Celsius, the material develops its first charge density wave running in one direction. Further cooling to around -113 degrees Celsius produces a second wave pattern oriented perpendicular to the first, creating an atomic-scale checkerboard arrangement of organized electrons.
The research team devised an experimental approach using precisely timed laser pulses to investigate how these two electron phases rebuild after being disrupted. The first laser pulse intentionally destroyed the electronic pattern with controllable intensity, while a second pulse containing high-energy photons subsequently expelled electrons from the material. By varying the timing between pulses and measuring the energy and momentum of displaced electrons, researchers captured detailed information about phase recovery.
The findings revealed that the two charge density waves rebuild through markedly different pathways. The dominant wave pattern reformed gradually and uniformly across the material, characteristic of a conventional second-order phase transition. In contrast, the subdominant wave emerged through nucleation and growth, beginning in isolated regions that expanded outward. This growth mechanism parallels how ice crystals form in water.
Understanding these phase transition mechanisms holds potential for developing advanced quantum materials and devices. Researchers believe the ability to control multiple coexisting electronic phases could inform the development of materials with superconductivity and other useful quantum properties, offering pathways toward quantum technology advancement.
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