Metal surface can repel electric charges

(Phys.org)—Metals are known for being good electrical conductors. Due to this property, a stationary electric point charge placed outside a metal will cause the electrons in the metal to redistribute in such a way that ...

Moiré patterns facilitate discovery of novel insulating phases

Materials having excess electrons are typically conductors. However, moiré patterns—interference patterns that typically arise when one object with a repetitive pattern is placed over another with a similar pattern—can ...

New quantum switch turns metals into insulators

Most modern electronic devices rely on tiny, finely-tuned electrical currents to process and store information. These currents dictate how fast our computers run, how regularly our pacemakers tick and how securely our money ...

Next up: Ultracold simulators of super-dense stars

Rice University physicists have created the world's first laser-cooled neutral plasma, completing a 20-year quest that sets the stage for simulators that re-create exotic states of matter found inside Jupiter and white dwarf ...

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