Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists recently demonstrated the ability to selectively remove carbon atoms from graphene’s pattern. Additionally, this allows for stitching transition-metal dopant atoms in their place. These complexes exhibit atom-like behavior, which gives graphene desirable properties.

This method has the potential to allow scientists to make quantum building blocks that can interact to produce exotic electronic, magnetic, and topological properties. There are further plans to make arrays of interacting quantum building blocks in order to investigate emergent properties.

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