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Hofstadter's butterfly turns 50: a fractal hiding in quantum matter
Original: Hofstadter’s butterfly turns 50: a fractal hiding in quantum matter
Physicists are marking 50 years since Douglas Hofstadter's 1976 discovery of the 'butterfly', a fractal pattern that emerges in the energy spectrum of electrons moving through a crystal under a magnetic field. Long considered a mathematical curiosity, the fractal structure has gained renewed attention in recent years as materials such as graphene and moiré systems made experimental observation possible, prompting anniversary coverage of the finding's lasting significance.
Why now: The 50th anniversary of the famous fractal's discovery is prompting retrospectives on its impact in condensed matter physics.
Douglas HofstadterPhysics Worldgraphenecondensed matter physics
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