Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered unusual quantum behaviour in a plutonium compound, with potential applications across various fields including nuclear science and quantum computing.
First synthesised and isolated in 1940, plutonium is a highly radioactive, human-made metallic element used as a fuel in nuclear reactors, as a compact heat source for spacecraft and in nuclear weapons. It is the sixth element in the actinide series, a group of elements known for their complex electronic structures.
To understand how plutonium’s electrons govern critical properties such as magnetism and electrical conductivity, scientists must observe those properties at the quantum level. This helps them to predict how nuclear materials will age, how to improve reactor safety and how to design future energy systems.
However, plutonium compounds are extraordinarily difficult to handle, synthesise and measure. Only a handful of facilities in the world can do it safely – Idaho National...