In research that could jump-start interest in an enigmatic class of materials known as quasicrystals, MIT scientists and colleagues have discovered a relatively simple, flexible way to create new, atomically thin versions of the materials that can be tuned for important phenomena. They describe doing just that to make the materials exhibit superconductivity—and more—in work published in a recent issue of Nature. 

The research introduces a new platform for not only learning more about quasicrystals, but also exploring exotic phenomena that, while difficult to study, could lead to important applications and new physics. For example, a better understanding of superconductivity, in which electrons pass through a material with no resistance, could allow more efficient electronic devices.

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