Topological insulators are a hot topic in condensed-matter physics on account of their special properties. Electrical insulators in the bulk, these materials have surface states that conduct electrons extremely well. In this video, Zahid Hasan of Princeton University in the US describes why topological insulators could lead to high-performance electronics and applications in quantum computing.

This video is part of our 100 Second Science series, in which researchers give concise presentations covering the spectrum of physics.