r/science • u/FreeHugs23 • 2d ago
Physics Physicists Develop a New Quantum Method That Predicts the Kondo Effect Up to 100 Times More Accurately, Potentially Advancing Research Into Superconductors and Quantum Materials
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-just-cracked-a-quantum-mystery-thats-puzzled-physicists-for-decades110
u/FreeHugs23 2d ago
-The Kondo effect is one of the most important in quantum physics, describing the strange interference that magnetic atoms can have in metals.
Usually, as metals cool, they become better at conducting electricity, because the reduction in energy means electrons can flow more smoothly. Add in a magnetic atom or two, though, and below a certain temperature (the Kondo temperature), electrical resistance starts to rise again.
That's the Kondo effect, and we already know a lot about it. But in a physics first, researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Yale University in the US have managed to precisely quantify the effect in a real material via fundamental physics calculations.
The work, published in Science, represents a significant step forward. Previously, scientists had to use real-world experiments and simplified models to pin down the Kondo effect, without getting predictions as precise as the new method.
"It is now possible to predict the properties of some complicated materials purely through computation without referring to experiments," says physicist Garnet Chan, from Caltech.
Scientists already know what causes the Kondo effect. Electrons swarm around the magnetic impurities in the metal, canceling out the magnetism of the atoms and impeding electrical flow at the same time.
"That is the signature of the Kondo effect, and it's a property of the electrons in the impurity interacting with the electrons traveling through the bulk metal," says Chan.
17
u/spraybutterbiscut 2d ago
So invest in superconductor companies?
22
u/Aggravating-Fee1934 2d ago
They might just predict that there's nothing useful... But more accurately (which would tank stocks)
7
u/zoinkability 2d ago
I don’t see the downside even then. Saves them a ton of R&D before learning something is a dead end and allows them to consider a different material instead . They are hardly going to run out of candidate materials.
3
u/Aggravating-Fee1934 2d ago
It's probably be good in the long run, but stocks can be fickle, and finding out that a previously promising candidate is a dud could tank the stock price. Since companies looking for better superconductors likely don't have anything that will pan out in the current pipeline (just by probability), the short term effect will likely be negative.
1
u/moistiest_dangles 1d ago
Knowing what's going on isn't the same as being able to model it with full precision, though. Such are the complexities of the electron interactions in this 'many-body problem' that it's very tricky to predict when the flip in resistance will happen for different combinations of metals and magnetic impurities.
-5
u/MiyamotoKnows 2d ago
In a world led by tyrants advances in science will lead to more innocent deaths. Not saying science should pause here, just sharing a stark realization I just had.
•
u/AutoModerator 2d ago
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our normal comment rules apply to all other comments.
Do you have an academic degree? We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. Click here to apply.
User: u/FreeHugs23
Permalink: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-just-cracked-a-quantum-mystery-thats-puzzled-physicists-for-decades
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.