Illustration created for a magazine submission, visualizing the concept of Leggett modes: collective quantum excitations that occur when energy is applied to a material at the quantum level. The illustration was designed to accommodate magazine masthead and footer placement.

The challenge was representing an invisible quantum phenomenon in a way that conveys both the scientific concept and visual interest. The illustration interprets the standard "Mexican hat" potential diagram used in physics to represent these excitations, positioning atoms within that structure. The illustration depicts both the quantum excitation pattern and the energy source that causes it, making the relationship between the two visible and understandable.

© Jami Butler for Sandia National Laboratories