Kagome is a pattern used to weave baskets from bamboo strips. The pattern is a symmetrical pattern of interlaced triangles that share corners. Scientists from MIT, Harvard, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have produced a kagome metal and found that it has exotic quantum properties.
Their paper, published in Nature (paywall), reports that the crystal made from layers of iron and tin atoms, causes electrons to flow in strange ways. The electrons bend into tight circular paths and flow along the edges without losing energy.
What is really interesting is that the effect persists at room temperature and above. The scientists hope this will lead to a material that has superconductor-like properties that works at room temperature. The key appears to be the use magnetic material (the iron) in the kagome pattern. Earlier attempts required external magnetic fields and cold temperatures to show the same sort of electron bending.
Oddly, Herbertsmithite occurs naturally, has a kagome lattice structure, and also exhibits strange magnetic properties. You’d think this is the first time Hackaday’s talked about kagome. You’d be wrong, but it wasn’t quite the same thing. We thought we understood magnets a little, and now there’s a whole new kind.
Photo Credit: [A. Davey] CC-BY-2.0
Kagome pattern with Bismuth and Magnesium and Iron – just saying….
Saying what exactly? Don’t understand..
I’m not sure if @neon22 means These are the same materials in a similar structure supposedly found at UFO crash sites ? I don’t even believe in that stuff, but it sure seems coincidental that a dept of energy funded lab “discovered” this. (Don’t jump all over me for UFO stuff, I’m just pointing out an odd coincidence)
Ah yes. The {in}famous Roswell ‘incident’.
Perhaps the OP should consider seeing a psychiatrist? I’m sure one could help him deal with this feeling that everyone is hiding something important from him.
And fill it with Hydrogen.
For those interested there’s a (no paywall) copy of the article hosted on arxiv.org, or more specifically at: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1709.10007.pdf
Was about to post one.
Everything is free online with the right search.
Google: CRJEEA *downloading*
Hmm… I always assumed that electrons behaved like this already, weaving sinuously through and around a conductor. Suddenly resistance makes a lot more sense to me!
Billiard ball vs on rails.
Semi related but basket weaving was a male reserve in ancient Japan.
The first Geisha were also men.
This kind of reminds me of a Roden Coil.
So i guess my underwater basket weaving class was usefull after all.