Quantum crystals could revolutionize everything from computing to the chemical industry.

Advanced Materials

Technological Innovation Website Editorial Team - 04/11/2025

Most electrons are bound to atoms, but many are free-floating in the material and can be captured by suitable "hooks." [Image: www.inovacaotecnologica.com.br]

Controlling loose electrons

Scientists have designed a new class of materials, which they call "quantum crystals," that allow unprecedented control over the behavior of electrons.

The breakthrough lies in what they call "surface-immobilized electrets," structures that act as guides to direct stray electrons, paving the way for quantum computers and radically more efficient industrial processes .

All modern technology, from the simplest chemical reaction to an electronic supercomputer or a quantum computer, depends on how electrons move and interact. However, in most materials, electrons are strongly bound to atoms, limiting their possibilities for action.

Special materials, known as "electrets," have already been conceived where electrons float freely, paving the way to overcome this limitation. However, all those designed so far have proven unstable and difficult to produce on a large scale, preventing practical applications.

It is a new type of material in which electrons can move freely on a solid surface. By arranging these electrons in different patterns, the material could be used to build faster computers or catalyze more efficient chemical reactions. [Image: Andrei Evdokimov et al. - 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.5c00756]

Surface-Mounted Electrets

Andrei Evdokimov and colleagues at Auburn University in the US have found a way to synthesize practical and stable electrets.

The solution lies in anchoring special molecules, called "solvated electron precursors," to the surface of ultrastable materials, such as diamond and silicon carbide – silicon carbide is also a semiconductor, like its famous sibling, but it is much more resistant. And the immobilization of these surface molecules creates a robust and controllable platform.

The key to everything lies in the adjustable coupling of the molecules. Depending on how the molecules are arranged on the surface of the base material, the free electrons can be configured in two main ways: They can form isolated islands, which behave like quantum bits (qubits) for computation, or they can create a continuous metallic "sea," ideal for catalyzing complex chemical reactions.

"By learning to control these free electrons, we can design materials that do things that nature never intended," said Professor Evangelos Miliordos, the team's coordinator.

At low concentrations, electrons can form isolated 0D systems or 1D channels. At higher concentrations, they form seas of 2D electrons on the crystal used as a substrate. [Image: Andrei Evdokimov et al. - 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.5c00756]

Possible applications

Due to their fundamental role in energy transfer, bonding, and conductivity, electrons are the lifeblood of chemical synthesis and modern technology. In chemical processes, electrons drive redox reactions, enable bond formation, and are essential in catalysis. In technological applications, manipulating the flow and interactions between electrons determines the functioning of electronic components, AI algorithms, solar cells, and even quantum computing.

Thus, the discovery of these electron-manipulating crystals opens many doors. But, more immediately, the team cites possibilities for applications in two main areas.

The first is in quantum computing: Electron islands can serve as very stable and robust qubits, and data loss, due to fragility or interference, is one of the biggest challenges for current quantum computers.

The second [aspect] lies in advanced catalysts, unlike anything that exists today. The "sea of ​​electrons" can foster chemical reactions in an extremely efficient way, revolutionizing the production of fuels, medicines, and industrial products, making them cheaper and more sustainable.

"This is fundamental science, but with very real implications," said Konstantin Klyukin, a member of the team. "We're talking about technologies that could change how we compute and how we manufacture."

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