A famous quantum effect can finally be predicted in real materials
Scientists from Caltech and Yale have developed a computational method to predict the Kondo effect in real materials using their atomic structure. This breakthrough moves beyond simplified models and could assist in the development of quantum technologies like high-temperature superconductors.
Why it matters
This advancement enables more accurate simulations of complex quantum materials, potentially accelerating innovation in electronics and energy-efficient technologies.
Scientists at Caltech and Yale University have developed a way to precisely calculate the Kondo effect in specific real materials, something that had not previously been possible. For decades, researchers have largely depended on simplified models that capture the phenomenon only approximately. The new approach instead works directly from a material's true atomic and electronic structure.
The advance could help pave the way for realistic computer simulations of more complicated quantum materials, including high-temperature superconductors. In these materials, the behavior of any one electron is strongly influenced by what nearby electrons are doing, making the system difficult to describe with conventional approximations.
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