Amino acid stabilizes material's quantum state above room temperature
New research started with a special material that behaves unusually when it's extremely cold—135 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 93 degrees Celsius), close to the most frigid temperature ever recorded in Antarctica—and showed that the unusual behavior could be extended to well above room temperature—up to about 135 F (57 degrees Celsius), close to the highest heat ever measured in Death…
Researchers have discovered that adding an amino acid called arginine to a special material called tantalum disulfide can stabilize the material's quantum state at temperatures much warmer than previously possible. This material, which typically behaves unusually only at extremely cold temperatures near absolute zero, showed signs of this unusual behavior persisting up to 57°C, close to the highest temperatures ever recorded in Death Valley.
The key to this temperature extension is the unique interaction between arginine and tantalum disulfide's crystal structure. Arginine's size and electron distribution perfectly fit the tantalum disulfide's crystal matrix, allowing the electrons within the material to flow in an orderly manner dictated by quantum mechanics. This discovery could potentially pave the way for new technologies, such as energy-efficient computer memory based on quantum properties, rather than traditional electron-based electronics.
The research was conducted by an international team led by UCLA and the California NanoSystems Institute, and the findings were published in Nature Chemistry.
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