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