Seventy years ago theorists predicted superlarge nuclei would exhibit a quantum-mechanical phenomenon known as “atomic collapse.” Recently materials scientists calculated that highly-charged impurities in graphene should exhibit a corresponding state, a buildup of electrons partially localized in space and energy constituting a unique electronic resonance. By constructing artificial superlarge nuclei on graphene, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have achieved the first experimental observation of the long-sought state, with important implications for the future of graphene-based electronic devices.
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