A new metal has been found where electricity flows in tiny, permanent loops without any external power source.
Usually, electricity needs a battery or a magnet to keep it moving, but this kagome metal creates its own spontaneous current loops. This state of matter is called an imaginary charge density wave, and it has been a controversial theory for decades. These loops of current occur at the microscopic level and create a state where energy can move without being lost as heat. This discovery opens up a new class of materials that could lead to perfectly efficient electronics. It represents a fundamental shift in how we think about the quiet states of matter. We are now seeing that electricity can behave more like a permanent whirlpool than a flowing river.
Microscopic evidence for imaginary charge density wave in a kagome metal
arXiv · 2605.05101
Dissipationless charge transport without any energy loss is one of the most fascinating phenomena in condensed matter physics. This extraordinary state manifests in two well-established systems: superconductors and quantum Hall systems. A proposed third category is associated with chiral loop current order, characterized by the spontaneous formation of microscopic electric current loops. The microscopic origin of these currents stems from imaginary hopping terms, conceptualized as an imaginary c