Copper, platinum, aluminum, gold. Metals have been so important in human history that we’ve named historical epochs (the Bronze Age, the Iron Age) for their transformative power. These materials, with their characteristic ability to conduct electricity, are no less vital to our modern era—they are found in essentially every technology that has enabled the information age. Yet despite metals’ utility, scientists are still trying to decipher their inner workings.
After centuries of study, physicists have a good understanding of most metals. Their characteristic glossiness and coldness to the touch are both consequences of the way their electrons move and interact. A metal’s reflective sheen, for instance, comes from its ability to conduct electricity at even the extremely high frequencies of visible light, and it feels cool to the touch as a result of how well it conducts heat compared with an insulating material such as wood or glass.
Recently, though, scientists have discovered that some metals are different. A new class of materials called strange metals shows confusing electronic behavior. In these metals, electrons seem to lose their individual identities, acting more like a soup in which all the particles are connected through quantum entanglement. The physics of these strongly interacting electrons even seems to mirror some of the ways particles act at the event horizons of black holes. By learning about these weird outliers, physicists hope to gain a better understanding of all metals and of the extremes of physics that are possible within solid materials.
On supporting science journalism
If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
To see why strange metals are strange, let’s first consider how regular metals work. Like all physical materials, metals are…
Read the full article here
