"Scientists Transform Pencil Lead into Precious 'Gold'"
Physicists at MIT have discovered that stacking five ultrathin flakes of graphite in a specific order can create a material with three unique properties: insulating, magnetic, and topological. This material, called pentalayer rhombohedral stacked graphene, allows electrons to communicate with each other, enabling these new properties. The researchers used a novel microscope to isolate the material and study its characteristics. This discovery expands the understanding of the potential applications of graphite and graphene in various fields of physics.