Materials science is increasingly influenced by quantum mechanics, impacting modern technology. On May 2, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science announced a significant discovery regarding the compound Mn3Si2Te6 [4, 7]. This material transitions from an insulator to a conductor when exposed to a magnetic field, demonstrating colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) [4, 13].
This unique characteristic could lead to the creation of materials highly resistant to electrical changes in magnetic fields, potentially transforming data storage and sensor technologies [4]. The research provides insights into how materials switch between insulating and metallic states at the microscopic level, revealing novel quantum states involving chiral orbital currents [4, 1, 3].
The team's findings offer a pathway for designing unconventional magnetoresistant materials [4]. This material, Mn3Si2Te6, exhibits a substantial change in electrical conductivity when exposed to a magnetic field, a property known as colossal magnetoresistance [5, 9, 13]. Unlike conventional materials where this effect relies on magnetic polarization, Mn3Si2Te6 achieves CMR by avoiding full magnetic polarization, offering a new approach to studying and applying CMR [1, 8, 6]. The discovery and control of chiral orbital currents and their impact on magnetoresistance could lead to new quantum technologies [1, 2, 11].