Lumami, Nagaland, 12 October 2026: Nagaland University and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) Researchers have proposed a new two-dimensional lattice architecture that could offer a simpler way to control unusual quantum states using magnetic fields, potentially opening avenues for future quantum sensors, programmable quantum devices and advanced quantum materials.
In the longer term, this research could provide a new platform for developing technologies that require precise control over how energy and information move at very small scales. The researchers also show that the system can control electrical transmission in a way that is linked to its magnetic state, which could be useful for designing new approaches to information processing and electronic transport.
The study introduces a previously unexplored atomic arrangement called ‘diamond-dodecagon lattice’. Through computer-based simulations, the researchers found that this structure can naturally confine electrons to small regions, creating unusual states known as ‘flat bands’. These states are of interest because electrons in them have very little freedom to move, allowing them to interact more strongly with one another and potentially produce novel forms of matter.
The ability to switch between different quantum states using magnetic fields could contribute to the development of quantum sensors, programmable quantum devices and engineered quantum materials. The work could also provide researchers with a framework for studying how geometry, magnetism and electron interactions can be combined to create new phases of matter.
Highlighting the need for academia to pursue cutting-edge research in frontier technologies, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, Vice-Chancellor, Nagaland University, said, “I am delighted to note the significant research contribution by researchers of Nagaland University and IIT Bombay in proposing a new diamond-dodecagon lattice platform for controlling quantum states using magnetic fields. This work represents an important step towards advancing research in quantum materials and emerging quantum technologies. Such collaborative and innovative research has the potential to contribute to the development of quantum sensors, programmable quantum devices and future quantum materials, while strengthening India’s capabilities in the rapidly-evolving field of quantum science and technology.”
Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik added, “I congratulate the researchers for this noteworthy achievement and encourage continued interdisciplinary collaboration and pursuit of frontier research that contributes to India’s scientific and technological advancement.”
The findings were published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter (DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/ae9dd8), an international peer-reviewed journal published by IOP Publishing, covering fundamental and applied research in condensed matter physics, including materials, quantum phenomena, nanoscience and electronic properties. The paper was co-authored by Dr. Biplab Pal from Nagaland University and Dr. Joydeep Majhi from IIT Bombay. The work was funded through a Minor Start-up Research Grant from Nagaland University.
Explaining the significance of the research, Dr. Biplab Pal, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Nagaland University, said, “The objective is to use the lattice geometry as a tool to control the quantum behaviour. In the proposed diamond-dodecagon lattice, the arrangement of atoms itself can confine electrons and produce multiple flat bands. We further show that an external magnetic field can be used to tune these states and drive the system into a topological phase, providing a potentially useful platform for future quantum technologies.”
‘TRAPPING’ ELECTRONS
Further, Dr. Joydeep Majhi, Former Postdoc at Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, IIT Bombay added, “In ordinary materials, electrons can move through the material and carry electrical energy. However, in certain specially-structured systems, the geometry of the material can cause different pathways available to an electron to cancel one another. As a result, the electron becomes confined to a small region rather than travelling freely through the material.”
The researchers found that the newly proposed lattice supports three flat energy bands, in which electrons can become highly localized. These localized electron states, known as the compact localized states, are confined to a small cluster of atoms and effectively disappear outside that region.
Such flat-band systems are scientifically important because reduced electron motion can enhance interactions between the electrons. This can create conditions for unusual quantum phenomena, including new magnetic states and potentially superconducting phases.
A key finding of the study is that these localized states can be manipulated by applying a magnetic flux through the lattice. The simulations show that changing the magnetic flux can modify the flat bands and induce a topological phase transition. In the resulting topological phase, the material can behave as an electrical insulator in its interior while supporting conducting states along its edges.
Unlike ordinary conducting pathways, such edge states can be relatively robust against certain imperfections in the material. This combination of electron localization and magnetically controlled topological behaviour makes the proposed structure potentially useful as a platform for investigating new quantum phases of matter.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
The researchers point out that the work is currently theoretical and simulation-based, but its findings could guide the design of physical systems that reproduce the predicted behaviour.
Because the proposed platform relies primarily on the geometry of the lattice and magnetic-field control rather than complicated chemical compositions, it could potentially be explored experimentally using systems such as photonic lattices, where light can be used to simulate electron behaviour, and ultracold atomic systems.
The researchers said that an important next step is to explore how the proposed lattice could be experimentally realized and whether the predicted quantum states can be observed under practical conditions. Further studies could also examine whether related structures can produce novel quantum phases that remain stable at higher temperatures.