Switching chiral phonons with electricity
Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland, demonstrated that an electric field can reverse the handedness of chiral phonons in barium titanate, a ferroelectric material. The reversal persists after the field is removed, and the effect was observed at room temperature using only 3 V. The handedness was read out with circularly polarised X‑rays via resonant inelastic X‑ray scattering at the ESRF in Grenoble.
Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland, demonstrated that an electric field can reverse the handedness of chiral phonons in barium titanate, a ferroelectric material. The reversal persists after the field is removed, and the effect was observed at room temperature using only 3 V. The handedness was read out with circularly polarised X‑rays via resonant inelastic X‑ray scattering at the ESRF in Grenoble.
The study, carried out by Swiss researchers at PSI, may inform Swiss AI initiatives that focus on advanced materials and information technologies.
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