Physicists Make Electrons Flow Like Water | Quanta Magazine
Physicists Make Electrons Flow Like Water | Quanta Magazine
We describe electricity as a flow, but that’s not what happens in a typical wire. Physicists have begun to induce electrons to act like fluids, an effort that could illuminate new ways of thinking about quantum systems.
Note
it is always fun and challenging to learn about new physics and then try to come up with ways in which we could use it. the dream of a society built on top of new technology.
this discovery is both old (Guzhi effect) and new (actually doing it). it's unclear how we could apply it. chips P-N junctions are an amazing technology that controls the flow of electrons in a direction allowing for computers. perhaps this new flowing technique would open us up to new ways to design chips?
Published
2026
Summary
We describe electricity as a flow, but that’s not what happens in a typical wire. Physicists have begun to induce electrons to act like fluids, an effort that could illuminate new ways of thinking about quantum systems.
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