Sensing electrons on the edge

摘要

Plutonium (Pu) is one of the elements best known to the general public. Its notoriety stems from the element's nuclear properties: It emits alpha particles, leading to its radiotoxicity, and is able to undergo fission with thermal neutrons, leading to its use in nuclear weapons. But plutonium has another, more benign, face. Its place in the periodic table imbues it with exceptional electronic properties that still defy a clear explanation, 60 years after they were first discovered. A recent theoretical report (1) and the experimental study by Wong et al. on page 1078 of this issue (2) elucidate the elementary transitions (the movement of atoms in the solid), an aspect of plutonium that has not been addressed before.