Scientists have made a satisfying and intriguing physics discovery some 16 years after it was first predicted to be a possibility: a quasiparticle (a group of particles behaving as one) that only has an effective mass when moving in one direction.

tl;dr by ChatGPT:

Scientists have discovered a quasiparticle, the semi-Dirac fermion, which behaves unusually by having mass in one direction but being massless in another. Found in a ZrSiS crystal at extremely low temperatures, this particle challenges conventional physics. Researchers used magneto-optical spectroscopy and strong magnetic fields to observe it. The discovery opens new possibilities in quantum physics and electronics, though many questions remain unanswered.

Deutsch:

Wissenschaftler haben ein Quasiteilchen, das semi-Dirac-Fermion, entdeckt, das in eine Richtung masselos ist, in die andere jedoch Masse hat. Es wurde in einem ZrSiS-Kristall bei extrem niedrigen Temperaturen gefunden. Mithilfe von Magneto-Optischer Spektroskopie und starken Magnetfeldern konnte dieses ungewöhnliche Verhalten beobachtet werden. Die Entdeckung eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten in der Quantenphysik, wirft aber noch viele Fragen auf.

Paper: Semi-Dirac Fermions in a Topological Metal | PDF

  • 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍@midwest.social
    2·
    3 days ago

    I was thinking about resistance, and energy required to lift things. But that works, too. I think “backwards” is also a good choice.

    I’m studiously ignoring the reply that informed me that the direction is local, not universal, because that’s boring.