Physicists find electronic agents that govern flat band quantum materials

Physicists have directly visualized the fundamental electronic elements of flat-band quantum materials, a class of systems in which the motion of electrons is effectively quenched and strong interactions give rise to emergent phases of matter. In a study published in Nature Physics, Qimiao Si’s group at Rice University, in collaboration with researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, identified compact molecular orbitals that act as key electronic agents governing the exotic behavior of these materials.