Anqi Wang

All matter, from stars to humans, is built from particles that in the Standard Model are divided into two families. But there's a third, rare kind — particles that, when swapped, don't just exchange places but tie themselves into a knot, remembering the intertwining rather than the path.

Hidden within thin layers of tantalum selenide (TaSe₂) is a property that defies conventional physics. When guest atoms were added between the layers of this material, the structure lost its center of symmetry, and inside, superconductivity with armor emerged.