Related topics: electrons

Demonstrating a weak topological insulator in bismuth iodide

Topological insulators are one of the most exciting discoveries of the 21st century. They can be simply described as materials that conduct electricity on their surface or edge, but are insulating in their interior bulk. ...

The hotter it gets, the more forests act as insulators

Using data from about 100 sites worldwide, an international research team has demonstrated that forest cover acts as a global thermal insulator by cooling the understory when the air temperature is high. This buffer effect ...

Controlling thermal conductivity of polymers with light

Polymers are regularly used as thermal insulators for everything from keeping beverages hot to keeping sensitive electronics cool. In some cases, polymers can even be used as thermal conductors to enable efficient heating ...

Light pulses provide a new route to enhance superconductivity

Under normal electron band theory, Mott insulators ought to conduct electricity, but they do not due to interactions among their electrons. But now, scientists from the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research have shown that ...

Millions of Australian homes struggling in record-breaking heat

Australians left with soaring energy bills in the wake of a scorching summer are about to face another harsh reality: the vast majority of the nation's houses do not meet the current minimum energy performance requirements.

'Immunizing' quantum bits so that they can grow up

Quantum computers will process significantly more information at once compared to today's computers. But the building blocks that contain this information – quantum bits, or "qubits" – are way too sensitive to their surroundings ...

Exotic spiraling electrons discovered by physicists

Rutgers and other physicists have discovered an exotic form of electrons that spin like planets and could lead to advances in lighting, solar cells, lasers and electronic displays.

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