Researchers unveil ‘demon particle’ that can lead to making superconductors

Source: The post is based on the article “Researchers unveil ‘demon particle’ that can lead to making superconductors”  published in Business Standard on 16th August 2023.

What is the News?

Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered a Demon Particle that could lead to the making of superconductors that can operate at room temperature.

What is a Demon Particle?

Demon is a “composite” particle made up of a combination of electrons, in a solid

The Demon Particle was first theorized by David Pines in 1956.

Pines predicted that electrons in a solid can do something strange. While they normally have a mass and an electric charge, Pines asserted that they can combine to form a composite particle that is massless, neutral, and does not interact with light. He called this particle a “demon.” 

Physicists have speculated that demon particle could play an important role in the characteristics of many metals. But they have never been able to confirm its existence until now. 

The researchers at the University of Illinois have now discovered a Demon Particle.

What is the significance of this discovery?

Superconductors, which can conduct electricity without resistance, currently require extremely low temperatures, often below 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

This discovery of the Demon Particle could lead to the making of superconductors that can operate at room temperature.