Indian scientists find new 'exotic and strange' state of materials boosting quantum technology In our everyday lives, several devices and technologies exploit some of the other aspects of quantum physics, like LEDs and semiconductor technology. (Photo: IANS) Updated: Mar 16, 2021, 11:59 PM IST Indian scientists have discovered a new 'exotic and strange' state of materials that alters their physical properties in presence of an electromagnetic field, leading to better quantum technologies, the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Tuesday. The scientists have shown that in an external electromagnetic field, geometric properties of a crystalline solid with lattices arranged in a one-dimensional periodic manner can display phase transitions, thereby altering its physical properties.