An odd, iridescent material that's puzzled physicists for
decades turns out to be an exotic state of matter that could open a new path to
quantum computers and other next-generation electronics.
Physicists at the University of Michigan have discovered or
confirmed several properties of the compound samarium hexaboride that raise
hopes for finding the silicon of the quantum era. They say their results also
close the case of how to classify the material—a mystery that has been
investigated since the late 1960s.