Neutrons and a 'Bit of Gold' Uncover New Type of Quantum Phase Transition
Thursday, January 19, 2017 - 15:31
in Physics & Chemistry
In a paper published in Physical Review Letters, a team of researchers led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory reports the discovery of a new type of quantum phase transition. This unique transition happens at an elastic quantum critical point, or QCP, where the phase transition isn't driven by thermal energy but instead by the quantum fluctuations of the atoms themselves.