Novel quantum effect discovered in naturally occurring graphene: International research team finds atomically-thin carbon generates its own magnetic field

Under special circumstances, the electrical resistance of a material can adopt a fixed value that is independent from the basic material properties and 'quantized'. This 'quantization' normally occurs within strong magnetic fields at very low temperatures when electrons move in two-dimensions. Now, a research team has succeeded in demonstrating this effect at low temperatures in the almost complete absence of a magnetic field in naturally occurring double-layer graphene, just two atoms thick.