A material's electronic behavior is usually determined by its structure under ordinary, undisturbed conditions. But intense light can briefly rewrite that structure, offering a way to control electrons that is not possible at equilibrium.
In graphene, researchers used two-color light to create a transient topological state. The light reshapes the material's electronic band structure, allowing electrons to be steered along specific paths. The results, reported by Phys.org, show how light can act as a rapid switch for electronic properties.
Because this report relies on a single source, there are no independent findings to compare; the description above reflects what Phys.org reported.