A kind of umbilical cord between different quantum states can be found in some materials. Researchers at TU Wien have now shown that this “umbilical cord” is generic to many materials.
It is a basic principle of quantum theory: sometimes certain physical quantities can only assume very specific values; all the values in between are simply not permitted by physics. This fact plays a decisive role in the behavior of materials. Certain energy ranges are possible for the electrons of the material, while others are not. Among other things, this explains the difference between electrically conductive metals and non-conductive insulators.
Sometimes, however, surprising connections can arise between permitted ranges, through which electrons can switch from one range to the other. One such unusual transition region was discovered in 2007 in certain copper-containing materials, known as cuprates.
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