Princeton physicists have made a remarkable discovery while conducting experiments on a three-atom-thin insulator that can easily be converted into a superconductor.
Under the leadership of Sanfeng Wu, assistant professor of physics at Princeton University, the researchers observed an abrupt cessation (or “death”) of quantum mechanical fluctuations, which exhibited a range of unique quantum behaviors and properties that seem to defy established theories.
Fluctuations refer to temporary random changes in the thermodynamic state of a material that is on the verge of undergoing a phase transition. An example of a phase transition is the melting of ice into water. The Princeton experiment focused on fluctuations occurring in a superconductor at temperatures close to absolute zero.
“By directly observing quantum fluctuations near the transition, we discovered clear evidence of a new quantum phase transition that deviates from the standard theoretical descriptions in the field,” said Wu. “Once we comprehend this phenomenon, we believe there is a genuine possibility for an exciting new theory to emerge.”
In the physical world, phase transitions occur when a material, such as a liquid, gas, or solid, undergoes a change from one state or form to another. However, phase transitions also occur at the quantum level. These transitions take place at temperatures approaching absolute zero (-273.15° Celsius) and involve the continuous adjustment of an external parameter, such as pressure or magnetic field, without raising the temperature.
2024-01-14 00:00:04
Source from phys.org