Scientists just created exotic new forms of matter that shouldnât exist - Date: - May 4, 2026 - Source: - California Polytechnic State University - Summary: - A new quantum physics study reveals that simply changing a magnetic field over time can unlock entirely new forms of matter that donât exist under normal conditions. By carefully âdrivingâ materials with timed magnetic shifts, researchers created exotic quantum states that could be far more stable and resistant to errorsâone of the biggest challenges in quantum computing. This breakthrough suggests that the future of quantum technology may depend not just on what materials are made of, but how theyâre manipulated in time. - Share: Quantum technology is widely expected to transform how large and complex data sets are processed. Although it is currently used mostly in laboratories and research environments, the field is steadily moving toward real-world applications across a range of industries. In a recent study exploring the fundamentals of quantum physics, researchers examined how matter behaves at extremely small scales, including atoms, electrons, and photons. The work, led by Cal Poly Physics Department Lecturer Ian Powell, focused on how varying a magnetic field over time can cause matter to exhibit unusual and previously unseen properties. Powell and student researcher Louis Buchalter, who earned a Cal Poly bachelor's degree in physics in 2025, published their findings in Physical Review B in a paper titled "Flux-Switching Floquet Engineering." Their research shows that when magnetic fields are changed in a controlled, time-dependent way, they can generate quantum states that do not exist in materials that remain unchanged over time (remaining in the same state as time elapses). "On a big-picture level, I would describe this as an advance in our understanding of how time-dependent control can create and organize new forms of quantum matter,"