Scientists found a new material where the atoms are arranged in weird triangles that act like circles but aren't.
arXiv · March 18, 2026 · 2603.16625
The Takeaway
While most crystals use common shapes like squares or hexagons, this material is built on a bizarre geometry that was previously just a mathematical novelty. This unique structure causes the material to undergo a mysterious electronic transformation when it gets cold, creating a new platform for exotic physics.
From the abstract
Exploring and synthesizing materials with new crystal structures provides an important route to discovering exotic quantum phenomena. However, materials with unconventional lattice geometries remain largely unexplored. Here, we report the discovery of a new vanadium-based material, $\mathrm{Cs_3V_9Te_{13}}$, featuring a Reuleaux-triangle-like lattice. Electrical transport and magnetic measurements consistently reveal an anomaly near 48 K, and this feature shows little sensitivity to the applied