Scientists have created a new quantum material that could point the way to more powerful computer memory. Researchers at the University of Chicago reported in the journal Science Advances that a crystal of iron germanium telluride hosts a rare “flat band” state, in which electrons move together unusually slowly. The team, led by physicist Shuolong Yang, found the slowdown comes from a charge-ordered pattern of electron pairs locked in place.

The state survives up to 100 Kelvin, far warmer than most quantum effects, which usually need near-absolute-zero cooling. Because the electron pairs can be switched between states, the material could serve as the basis for dense, energy-efficient memory devices. The findings add to a growing body of work on flat-band materials, which physicists believe could unlock new kinds of electronics.

The researchers say the next step is to test whether the effect can be controlled in working devices. The study was published in the journal Science Advances after peer review.