Got mass? Scientists observe electrons become both heavy and speedy Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 @ 21:30:23 UTC Topic: Science
From Phys.org: Electrons moving in certain solids can behave as if they are a thousand
times more massive than free electrons, but at the same time act as
superconductors. A new study led by Princeton scientists shows that this
happens because of a process known as quantum entanglement that
determines the mass of electrons moving in a crystal. The discovery can
help improve understanding of how certain materials become
superconducting, which may have applications in areas such as power
network efficiency and computing speed. Credit: the Yazdani Group
A Princeton University-led team of scientists has shown how
electrons moving in certain solids can behave as though they are a
thousand times more massive than free electrons, yet at the same time
act as speedy superconductors.
From Phys.org: Electrons moving in certain solids can behave as if they are a thousand
times more massive than free electrons, but at the same time act as
superconductors. A new study led by Princeton scientists shows that this
happens because of a process known as quantum entanglement that
determines the mass of electrons moving in a crystal. The discovery can
help improve understanding of how certain materials become
superconducting, which may have applications in areas such as power
network efficiency and computing speed. Credit: the Yazdani Group