Researchers studying the so-called ‘magic angle’ at which two-dimensional graphene becomes a superconductor say the magic part comes from the fact that electrons exist as both particles and waves. This dualistic nature of electrons has been repeatedly demonstrated via the double-slit experiment, and now it appears that it may also help unlock the door to room-temperature superconductors.
Since researchers first discovered how to arrange carbon atoms into a single layer, essentially creating a material with only two dimensions (which they call graphene), the unique and often times puzzling properties of this material have continued to intrigue and confound. Among the most exciting aspects of graphene is something engineers refer to as a magic angle. In short, if you place two layers of graphene on top of each other and then twist the dual-layered structure to precisely 1.08 degrees, it becomes superconductive. Some researchers refer to the study of this extraordinary property twistronics.
Still, even though the exact magic angle at which bilayer graphene becomes a superconductor is now widely known, scientists don’t quite understand how. Now, a team of researchers from The Ohio State University has conducted their own experiments, and their results indicate that the answer may lie with something even more confounding, the fact that electrons can exist as both a particle and a wave.
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