To make better quantum computers, scientists need to find new exotic materials with quantum properties capable of making these incredible machines more fault tolerant. A new study from MIT reports the theoretical discovery of a quasiparticle called a non-Abelian anyon—a kind of fractionalized electron—that can exist in what are known as 2D moiré materials without the need for a magnetic field. According to researchers, if this quasiparticle can be experimentally discovered, it could kickstart a new quantum computing era. Quantum computing is primed to be a serious boon for scientists tackling some of the universe's toughest questions. These incredible machines are already capable of solving certain problems in moments that would usually take normal supercomputers decades to calculate. However, outside of these hyper-specific use cases, these computers can't do much just yet—at least, not without a major materials breakthrough. Well, MIT has some good news. In a new study published this October, MIT scientists reported that quasiparticles known as non-Abelian anyons could theoretically exist without a magnetic field—and no, that wasn't Star Trek technobabble. To break it down, anyons are simply fractionalized electrons. First discovered in 1982 (in a find that eventually earned those scientists a Nobel Prize ), anyons come in a number of…