Science of 'exotic' states of matter lands Nobel physics prize

British scientists David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz's studies of unusual states of matter may open up new applications in electronics

British scientists David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz won the Nobel Physics Prize on Tuesday for revealing the secrets of exotic matter, the Nobel jury said.
 

"This year's laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states. They have used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual phases, or states, of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or thin magnetic films. Thanks to their pioneering work, the hunt is now on for new and exotic phases of matter," it said.

The laureates will share the 8 million Swedish kronor (around USD 931,000) prize sum. Thouless won one-half of the prize, while Haldane and Hosterlitz share the other half.

The jury said their pioneering work "has boosted frontline research in condensed matter physics, not least because of the hope that topological materials could be used in new generations of electronics and superconductors, or in future quantum computers."

Topology, in which the three laureates specialise, is a branch of mathematics that investigates physical properties of matter and space that remain unchanged under deforming forces, including stretching.

It holds exceptional promise for quantum computing and tiny quantum devices as topological states can transport energy and information without overheating, unlike traditional quantum mechanics.

"They demonstrated that superconductivity could occur at low temperatures and also explained the mechanism, phase transition, that makes superconductivity disappear at higher temperatures," the jury noted.

In the 1980s, Thouless was able to explain a previous experiment with very thin electrically conducting layers in which conductance was precisely measured as integer steps.
 

"He showed that these integers were topological in their nature. At around the same time, Duncan Haldane discovered how topological concepts can be used to understand the properties of chains of small magnets found in some materials."

David Thouless — Born 1934 in Bearsden. He completed PhD in 1958 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Duncan Haldane — Born in 1951 in London. He completed PhD in 1978 from Cambridge University. He is Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Michael Kosterlitz — Born in 1942 in Aberdeen, UK. He did PhD in 1969 from Oxford University. He is Harrison E Farnsworth Professor of Physics at Brown University.