Landau level

A Landau level is like a set of special steps that electrons can climb up and down on.

Imagine you have a toy staircase with a big magnet at the bottom. Inside the magnet, there are lots of tiny magnets pointing in different directions. This creates a bumpy, wavy surface that the toy staircase can slide along.

Now imagine you put some tiny toy electrons on the staircase. Because of the bumpy surface, the electrons can only move up and down the staircase in set steps, kind of like jumping from one step to the next. Each step represents a different energy level for the electrons.

These special steps are called Landau levels, named after the scientist who discovered them. They only exist in strong magnetic fields, where the bumpy surface is created by the magnetic force.

Scientists study Landau levels to learn more about how electrons behave in different materials, like metals and semiconductors. It's like learning how a toy works by taking it apart and putting it back together again - except with really, really small toys!