Neutrons—the uncharged particles that, along with protons, make up an atom’s nucleus—are a bit of a surprise. They’re not affected by the electromagnetic force that governs most of the interactions in our world. Instead, the incredibly short-range strong force keeps them glued to the atomic nucleus. It’s so short-range that its influence barely extends beyond the dimensions of a single atom.
But now, in a wild physics twist, MIT researchers have figured out that neutrons can actually stick to way bigger structures called quantum dots. Quantum dots are like teeny-tiny crystals made up of tens of thousands of atoms. The fact that a single neutron can cling to one is blowing scientists’ minds.
Their findings, published this week in ACS Nano by a team led by professors Ju Li and Paola Cappellaro, could lead to the development of new tools for studying the fundamental properties of materials, including those influenced by the strong nuclear force. This research also holds promise for the creation of entirely new types of quantum information processing devices.
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