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Researchers unveil 'demon particle' that can lead to making superconductors

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Researchers unveil 'demon particle' that can lead to making superconductors

  • Researchers at the University of Illinois recently discovered a demon particle that could lead to the making of superconductors that can operate at room temperature.
  • This massless particle, termed as the holy grail of superconductors, was discovered nearly 70 years after ‘demons’ were first predicted.

Superconductors

  • These are certain metals or alloys that can conduct electricity without resistance.
  • However, the temperature needs to be below 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Used in operations such as levitating trains and highly accurate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
  • With the discovery of materials capable of operating at room temperature, emergence of more powerful computers could come into being.

Demon Particle

  • The demon particle was first predicted by theoretical physicist David Pines in 1956.
  • Pines theorised that electrons passing through a solid would exhibit unique behaviours.
  • These behaviours could lead to the formation of a new type of particle that he called a "demon particle".
  • They are massless, chargeless, and transparent to light.
  • They are also able to form plasmons (collective units of electrons that behave like waves) which are important in superconductivity.
    • With such a large mass, plasmons cannot form with energies available at room temperature.
    • Since demons do not contain mass, they can form with any energy and in room temperatures as well.

Prelims Takeaway

  • Meissner-Ochsenfeld Effect
  • Superconductors
  • Demon Particles

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