New Delhi: A team of physicists from Nagaland University has opened up fresh avenues in quantum science by successfully recreating the intricate fractal patterns found in nature — such as snowflakes, tree branches, and neuron networks — within the quantum domain.
The study, led by Dr. Biplab Pal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the School of Sciences, demonstrates how lessons from naturally occurring structures can inspire the design of future computing and electronic systems.
The findings have been published in the international peer-reviewed journal Physica Status Solidi – Rapid Research Letters.
Fractals, long regarded as mathematical wonders, are in fact nature’s blueprints, evident in rivers, lightning bolts, leaves, and blood vessels.
By bringing these patterns into the quantum realm, researchers have highlighted their potential to revolutionise material design for advanced technologies.
Explaining the study, Dr. Pal said, “I have used quantum mechanics to simulate the behavior of electrons under a magnetic field in fractal systems. Most quantum device research has focused on crystalline materials, but this approach shows that amorphous, non-crystalline materials can also be engineered for nanoelectronic quantum devices.”
The implications are significant. The research points to the possibility of developing molecular fractal-based nanoelectronic devices, improved quantum algorithms and information processing, and even harnessing the Aharonov-Bohm Caging effect — a phenomenon that traps electrons in fractal geometries — for use in memory and logic devices.
India has already committed itself to the global race in emerging technologies through the National Quantum Mission.
The contribution from Nagaland University is expected to strengthen efforts to expand the material base for quantum innovation and pave the way for next-generation devices and algorithms.
