Researchers Observe Axion Quasiparticles for the First Time
COS/ECE Associate Professor Kin Chung Fong and more than a dozen researchers from across the globe published “Observation of the Axion Quasiparticle in 2D MnBi2Te4 ” in Nature. The paper reveals how through specific laboratory conditions the researchers were able to observe axion quasiparticles for the first time, adding to their understanding of dark matter.
This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Alena Kuzub. Main photo: This research connects human endeavors in understanding the universe and quantum technologies that could revolutionize computers and communications. Photo by Matt Modoono/Northeastern University
Northeastern scientists help detect axion quasiparticles, offering new clues to dark matter
Northeastern University scientists and international collaborators have successfully created laboratory conditions that allowed them to observe axion quasiparticles for the first time, bringing researchers closer to understanding dark matter.
The research published this week in Nature represents a significant step in bridging the gap between theoretical physics and experimental proof, which can lead to both a better understanding of the universe and applications in future technology of magnetic memory.
The research—an effort that included more than a dozen organizations across five countries—included three Northeastern physicists: Arun Bansil, a university distinguished professor and director of the Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute; Kin Chung Fong, an associate professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering; and Barun Ghosh, a postdoctoral student.
Arun Bansil, a university distinguished professor of physics at Northeastern, says quantum materials will continue to offer material platforms for developing new transformational technologies. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
“This study provides another exciting example of the very rich tapestry of quasiparticles that are harbored by quantum matter,” Bansil says. “It is clear that quantum materials will continue to offer us surprises long into the future to open new pathways for addressing pressing fundamental science questions as well as materials platforms for developing transformational new technologies.”
Decades-long hunt for the invisible
Everything that humans have discovered and observed in the universe—stars, planets, galaxies, gas, and dust—makes up only about 5% of existing matter. Fong says that much of the universe’s composition remains a mystery, and dark matter is believed to account for the missing mass.
In 1978, physicists Frank Wilczek and Steven Weinberg independently theorized the existence of a new hypothetical elementary particle—axion—a possible component of dark matter.
“Since then, people have been hunting for it for a number of years,” Fong says.
 |
 |
Kin Chung Fong, an associate professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering, envisions axions in cosmos as a big wave that our galaxy is swimming inside of. Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
The way he conceptualizes axions provides an intriguing picture of our place in the universe.
“What we believe right now is that axions actually are distributed across our universe. I think about it like a big wave that we are swimming inside,” he says. “Their congregation could prevent our galaxy from falling apart.”
Scientists have known for some time that our galaxy—the Milky Way—is spinning faster than expected. Dark matter could play a key role in holding the galaxy together by providing additional gravitational pull.
More recently, theorists proposed that excitations that mimic axions and known as the “dynamical axion quasiparticles” could exist under special conditions in certain Earth-based materials. They occur in a new class of lab-created materials—called antiferromagnetic topological insulators. The coherent oscillation of the magnetism in these materials, governed by their topological symmetry—a deep, built-in order in the material that doesn’t change even if it gets stretched or deformed—can simulate axion-like properties.
Read full story at Northeastern Global News