Researchers hear puzzling new physics from graphene quartet's quantum harmonies

Researchers hear puzzling new physics from graphene quartet's quantum harmonies: "Because of the geometry and electromagnetic properties of graphene's structure, an electron in any given energy level populates four possible sublevels, called a 'quartet.' Theorists have predicted that this quartet of levels would split into different energies when immersed in a magnetic field, but until recently there had not been an instrument sensitive enough to resolve these differences.
'When we increased the magnetic field at extreme low temperatures, we observed unexpectedly complex quantum behavior of the electrons,' said NIST Fellow Joseph Stroscio.
What is happening, according to Stroscio, appears to be a 'many-body effect' in which electrons interact strongly with one another in ways that affect their energy levels."