Next-gen devices could be possible with temperature-stable bismuth

In an observation that challenges conventional wisdom in physics, the researchers in Canada saw that an electrical effect in ultra-thin bismuth remained unchanged across a wide temperature range, from -273°C to room temperature.

“If we can harness this, it could become important for green electronics,” said Guillaume Gervais, a professor of physics at McGill and co-author of the study.

The finding could lead to the development of more efficient, stable and environmentally friendly electronic components and devices, including for space exploration and medical uses as bismuth is non-toxic and biocompatible.

“We expected this effect to disappear once we increased the temperature, but it stubbornly refused; we kept going to room temperature and it was still there,” said Gervais.

Published in Physical Review Letters, the study reports the observation of a temperature-independent anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in a 68-nanometre-thick flake of bismuth. This effect, which creates a voltage perpendicular to an applied current, is typically associated with materials that have magnetic properties. However, bismuth is diamagnetic and does not usually exhibit such behaviour.