A scholar from Nagaland mimics the river and snowflake patterns in the quantum world.

Nagaland University has solidified its spot on the world quantum research map with a recent study.

An article by Dr. Biplab Pal, an assistant professor in the School of Sciences’ Department of Physics, was featured on the cover of Physica Status Solidi – Rapid Research Letters, a distinguished peer-reviewed international magazine published by Wiley-VCH (Germany), marking a first for the central university.  In the quantum world, the study reproduces the intricate fractal patterns found in snowflakes, tree branches, river networks, and neurons.

This study makes a substantial contribution to India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM) by bridging an intriguing gap between sophisticated quantum physics and natural geometry.

Self-repeating patterns that appear the same on various scales are called fractals. These fractal patterns display unusual electrical properties in Dr. Pal’s quantum version when exposed to a uniform magnetic field.

One notable consequence is the Aharonov–Bohm caging phenomena, which occurs when the magnetic field is precisely adjusted to half a flux quantum, causing electrons to become “trapped” and immobile. Confirmed by a thorough examination of the system’s energy spectrum and electron transport, this peculiar behavior may pave the way for the development of quantum networks and algorithms.

Because they could aid in the understanding and engineering of amorphous, non-crystalline materials for application in developing quantum technologies, the findings are very significant.

Amorphous materials are more plentiful and flexible than crystalline ones, which could increase the range of materials available for quantum innovation in India and around the world.

This accomplishment not only exemplifies Nagaland University’s potential but also shows how Northeastern Indian universities are making significant contributions to the National Quantum Mission.