Scientists crack quantum mystery that has puzzled researchers for decades
Leading researchers have hailed the beginning of 'an exciting era' following the landmark breakthrough
TL;DR
- Scientists have computationally quantified the Kondo effect without laboratory experiments for the first time.
- The Kondo effect involves the counterintuitive increase of electrical resistance in metals with magnetic impurities below a certain temperature.
- Modeling the Kondo effect is challenging due to it being a 'many-body problem' where temperature, spin, and magnetism are intertwined.
- The new approach uses an ab initio method, constructing a complete model of a magnetic atom from first principles.
- Computational results showed remarkable accuracy, up to 100 times more precise than simplified models in some cases.
- This breakthrough could accelerate the development of materials like superconductors and quantum magnets.
- The methodology is seen as a 'baby step' towards predicting the behavior of more complex quantum materials.