When things don’t make sense in the quantum realm, scientists don’t always get to find a good explanation for what they’re seeing. Many times, they arrive at a solution by accident —something that usually begins with the realization that a weird signal is not a wrong signal.

Researchers had known about an odd phenomenon in which an initially conductive material seemingly loses its ability to conduct electricity altogether. Although physicists suspected electrons were involved, they struggled to pinpoint the exact mechanism. But a new paper published in Physical Review Letters identifies the culprit—or, rather, culprits—behind this disappearing act: an amalgamation of particles referred to as polarons.

This specific arrangement creates a strange “dance” between the electrons and surro

See Full Page