(Press-News.org) Contact information: Franziska Hornig
franziska.hornig@springer.com
49-622-148-78414
Springer
Quasi-particle swap between graphene layers
Equations used to describe parallel worlds in particle physics can help study the behaviour of particles in parallel graphene layers
Belgian scientists have used a particle physics theory to describe the behaviour of particle-like entities, referred to as excitons, in two layers of graphene, a one-carbon-atom-thick honeycomb crystal. In a paper published in EPJ B, Michael Sarrazin from the University of Namur, and Fabrice Petit from the Belgian Ceramic Research Centre in Mons, studied the behaviour of excitons in a bilayer of graphene through an analogy with excitons evolving in two abstract parallel worlds, described with equations typically used in high-energy particle physics.
The authors used the equations reflecting a theoretical world consisting of a bi-dimensional space sheet - a so-called brane - embedded in a space with three dimensions. Specifically, the authors described the quantum behaviour of excitons in a universe made of two such brane worlds. They then made an analogy with a bilayer of graphene sheets, in which quantum particles live in a separate space-time.
They showed that this approach is adapted to study theoretically and experimentally how excitons behave when they are confined within the plane of the graphene sheet.
Sarrazin and his colleague have also theoretically shown the existence of a swapping effect of excitons between graphene layers under specific electromagnetic conditions. This swapping effect may occur as a solid-state equivalent of known particle swapping predicted in brane theory.
To verify their predictions, the authors suggest the design for an experimental device relying on a magnetically tunable optical filter. It uses magnets whose magnetic fields can be controlled with a separate external magnetic field. The excitons are first produced by shining an incident light onto the first graphene layer. The device then works by recording photons in front of the second graphene layer, which provide a clue to the decay of the exciton after it has swapped onto the second layer from the first.
###
Reference: M. Sarrazin and F. Petit (2013), Exciton swapping in a twisted graphene bilayer as a solid-state realization of a two-brane model, European Physical Journal B, DOI 10.1140/epjb/e2013-40492-5
For more information visit: http://www.epj.org
The full-text article is available to journalists on request.
Quasi-particle swap between graphene layers
Equations used to describe parallel worlds in particle physics can help study the behaviour of particles in parallel graphene layers
2014-02-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Biologic agents provide relief for children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease
2014-02-03
Bethesda, MD (Feb. 3, 2014) — Children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease may benefit from early treatment with the biologic drugs known as anti-TNF-α agents, ...
Invisible risk group among adolescents at risk of mental ill-health
2014-02-03
Adolescents with high media use, reduced sleep and low physical activity comprise an 'invisible-risk' group that has high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, according to a large international study ...
Researchers develop 'envy-free' algorithm for settling disputes
2014-02-03
Whether it's season tickets to Green Bay Packers' games or silver place settings, divorce and inheritance have bred protracted disputes over the assignment of belongings. But, now, a trio of researchers ...
UC researchers at ground control in launching the fastest plane of the future
2014-02-03
It's a sci-fi concept that's at the center of a 25-year exploratory project: building a hypersonic aircraft that takes off from the runway and doesn't need a rest, inspection or repair ...
Adolescents' salt intake correlates with obesity, inflammation
2014-02-03
Augusta, Ga. – Most adolescents consume as much salt as adults – some more than twice the recommended daily allowance – and that high sodium intake correlates with fatness ...
Women with schizophrenia at higher risk of pregnancy and delivery complications: Study
2014-02-03
TORONTO, February 3, 2014 – Women with schizophrenia are nearly twice as likely to experience pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth and other serious pregnancy and delivery ...
Dramatic thinning of Arctic lake ice cuts winter ice season by 24 days
2014-02-03
Arctic lakes have been freezing up later in the year and thawing earlier, creating a winter ice season about 24 days shorter than it was in 1950, a University of Waterloo study has found.
The ...
IUPUI study first to find earlier depression treatment prevents heart attacks and strokes
2014-02-03
INDIANAPOLIS – Research led by Jesse C. Stewart, Ph.D., of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, ...
New scientific field looks at the big picture
2014-02-03
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Big data is changing the field of ecology. The shift is dramatic enough to warrant the creation of an entirely new field: macrosystems ecology.
"Ecologists can no longer sample and ...
Five black chemists who changed the world (video)
2014-02-03
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2014 — They've alleviated pain, saved crops and blasted into space, to name just a few of their long list of accomplishments. The American Chemical Society's Reactions YouTube series (formerly ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Patients who had cataracts removed or their eyesight corrected with a new type of lens have good vision over all distances without spectacles
AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults
Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds
Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds
Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics
Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima
AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk
New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs
MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health
Working together, cells extend their senses
Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking
Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure
Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage
University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources
Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change
Measuring the quantum W state
Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells
Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging
Funding for training and research in biological complexity
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025
ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research
Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury
Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows
Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior
OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech
Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia
Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults
Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children
Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults
[Press-News.org] Quasi-particle swap between graphene layersEquations used to describe parallel worlds in particle physics can help study the behaviour of particles in parallel graphene layers