Electrons within quantum materials can experience behavior akin to traveling around wormholes, according to research exploring the interplay between geometry and quantum dynamics. The research explores how both intrinsic curvature and spatially varying magnetic backgrounds reshape the movement of electrons. Remarkably, a magnetic vortex can create a geometry resembling an Ellis-type wormhole. This spin connection impacts how these particles propagate through the material.
Electrons strongly interacting with a magnetic vortex exhibit dynamics described by an effective curved metric, resulting in predicted geodesic motion and lensing of electronic wave packets, bending and focusing electrons within the material itself. “Curved geometry can profoundly reshape quantum dynamics,” and these findings illustrate how materials can give rise to effective geometries governing quasiparticle motion.
Dirac fermions moving across hyperbolic lattices experience altered behavior due to finite negative curvature, necessitating the inclusion of the spin connection within their theoretical description. Implementing this lattice structure through geodesic Wilson-line factors modifies the low-energy spectrum and density of states, creating a measurable signature of the curved geometry. The geometry isn’t always externally imposed; for an electron strongly coupled to a magnetic vortex, spatial variations of the local magnetization modify the orbital dynamics in a way that can be described by an effective curved metric.
Remarkably, the resulting geometry takes the form of an Ellis-type wormhole, a concept typically associated with cosmological space, but now emerging within the material itself. These observations highlight a broader interplay between geometry and quantum matter, where spatial structure within a material dictates how electrons move.
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