Physicists Use Chess-Inspired Mazes to Tackle Global Challenges

Physicists at the University of Bristol have created a groundbreaking maze inspired by the movements of a chess knight, with potential applications in solving complex industrial challenges such as carbon capture and fertilizer production. The intricate mazes, constructed as Hamiltonian cycles in irregular structures resembling quasicrystals, offer a unique solution to previously unsolvable problems in the mathematical sciences.

Lead author Dr. Felix Flicker explained that the maze-like structures formed by their research have exponential growth in size and an infinite number of variations. These structures, described by mathematical objects called “fractals,” provide the fastest possible routes for scanning tunneling microscopy, a process that can take up to a month to produce an image at the atomic level.

The study, accepted for publication by Physical Review X, showcases the potential of quasicrystals as highly efficient adsorbers, making them ideal candidates for applications such as carbon capture and storage. Co-author Shobhna Singh highlighted the advantages of quasicrystals over traditional crystals in adsorption processes, emphasizing their potential as catalysts for industrial efficiency.

The research not only sheds light on the unique properties of quasicrystals but also opens up new possibilities for solving challenging problems across various scientific disciplines. With the potential to revolutionize industries such as carbon capture and fertilizer production, the maze-like structures created by the physicists at the University of Bristol offer a glimpse into the future of innovative solutions to complex global challenges.