When an electron moves in solid matter, it polarizes its environment. Detailed insight into the interactions between electrons and their environment is the key to better performing future electronics components. However, since these processes transpire within only a few attoseconds, in the past they were practically impossible to investigate. Using an ingenious trick, an international team of physicists was able to study the birth of a quasiparticle comprising an electron and its polarization cloud.
Quasiparticles are among the most important concepts in condensed matter physics. For example, when an electron moves in solid matter, it polarizes its environment due to its electrical charge. This ’polarization cloud? moves with the electron. ...
