Researchers at Michigan State University have figured out how to use a fast laser to wiggle atoms in a way that temporarily changes the behavior of their host material. Their novel approach could lead to smaller, faster and more efficient electronics — like smartphones — in the future.

Tyler Cocker, an associate professor in the College of Natural Science, and Jose L. Mendoza-Cortes, an assistant professor in the colleges of Engineering and Natural Science, have combined the experimental and theoretical sides of quantum mechanics — the study of the strange ways atoms behave at a very small scale — to push the boundaries of what materials can do to improve electronic technologies we use every day.

“This experience has been a reminder of what science is really like because we found materials that are working in ways that we didn’t expect,” said Cocker. “Now, we want to look at something that is going to be technologically interesting for people in the future.”