MIT physicists have detected a hybrid particle that is a mashup of an electron and a phonon, “glued” together with an exceptionally strong bond. It may be possible to tune the two components in tandem, enabling scientists to apply voltage or light to a material to tune not just its electrical properties but also its magnetism.
In the particle world, sometimes two is better than one. Take, for instance, electron pairs. When two electrons are bound together, they can glide through