Researchers visualize quantum electron jumps in graphene

Scientists from the University of Regensburg, Philipps-Universität Marburg, and Forschungszentrum Jülich have successfully visualized electrons in graphene bypassing established energy levels. Using a combination of ultrafast laser technology and electron microscopy, the team observed a phenomenon known as a Landau-Zener-Majorana transition.

In this process, electrons appear to skip multiple energy levels, such as jumping from level one directly to level twenty, without occupying the forbidden energy states in between. This behavior occurs when electrons are accelerated through the material’s band structure by strong electric fields generated by light pulses. The researchers utilized high-purity, atomically thin carbon layers and rotated graphene to ensure that impurities did not interfere with the delicate quantum dynamics.

This direct observation of a previously theorized quantum mechanical process could provide critical insights into how electrons behave under intense electric fields. Such findings may inform the future development of high-speed semiconductor electronics and new methods for controlling electronic materials using light.