The waves capture the phase space mixing of a chaotic map after several stages of stretching and folding the initially ordered colors. A branched flow is created by a random potential with different scales in the horizontal and the vertical direction. The branched flow is generated by a random potential with different scales in the horizontal and the vertical direction. Credit: Harvard University.
The mythical setting for "Black Panther" is home to some not-so-mythical technology. The levitating high-speed trains could zoom into reality with the help of superconductors.
A new discovery about electron behavior could be a step towards that superpowered world.
Resistance-free highways can be achieved by using superconductors. They have the ability to create power lines that allow super-fast transmission without losing energy, and they have the ability to enhance the use of magnetic resonance equipment. Superconductors need extremely cold temperatures to work. Some scientists hope to find an answer in the right combination of materials, but the solution might be hidden in how electrons move, not only what they move through.
A team of scientists from Harvard and Tampere University in Finland describe for the first time an unexpected path electrons can take through 2D, highly structured materials. Branched flow happens when a wave moves across a surface that causes it to fall into a tree. branched flow had never been seen in such structures. The discovery could help explain how quantum mechanics influence electron behavior, and also give scientists a way to control electron paths in order to create artificial superconductors with "superwires."
"Branched flow has been seen in all sorts of chaotic systems, like gases, tsunamis, and even light bouncing through soap bubbles," said lvar Daza Esteban, a former postdoctoral fellow of physics. "But," Daza continued, "none of us expected to see branched flow in periodic systems."
lattices that look like brick streets are called periodic systems. In 2D material, structures get close to perfect, and that makes it possible for electrons to find a resistance-free path.
Humans are nearly impossible to perfect.
Credit: Harvard University.
People are making superwires that are free of defects and smooth. "This basically doesn't work," said Eric "Rick" Heller, Abbott and James Lawrence professor of chemistry and physics and co-author on the paper.
The wires will eventually need to be 3D, and layers of stacked lattices will allow for more channels for electrons to escape. "You can't stop them," he said.
The challenge is controlling the flow. Superconductors work when electrons pair up. Scientists have been using extreme pressure or ultracold temperatures to force couples to be together. Both are too risky to use outside a lab. If scientists learn to control branched flow, they won't need to use phonons, they can use their own superwires.
"We can make an artificial superconductor with this," said Heller.
"Maybe" is what he emphasizes. The team will experiment with controlling the flow of branching electrons. They'll try to create a curved channel in the material to try to trap and direct their movements.
The discovery of branched flow in 2D lattices challenges current theories, which equates to the first cars, Model Ts.
"They're not right, but you could be driving a car," he said. Soon, levitating in a train.
The Propagation of waves in high Brillouin zones: Chaotic branched flow and stable superwires was published in the National Academy of Sciences. There is a book called "pnas.2110285118."
The National Academy of Sciences has a journal.
The Harvard Gazette is the official newspaper of Harvard University. You can find additional university news at Harvard.edu.
The news about never-before-seen electron behavior could help scientists create superwires.
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