Physicists trap electrons in a 3D crystal for the first time

The results open the door to exploring superconductivity and other exotic electronic states in three-dimensional materials. Electrons move through a conducting material like commuters at the height of Manhattan rush hour. The charged particles may jostle and bump against each other, but for the most part they're unconcerned with other electrons as they hurtle forward, each with their own energy. But when a material's electrons are trapped together, they can settle into the exact same energy state and start to behave as one. This collective, zombie-like state is what's known in physics as an electronic "flat band," and scientists predict that when electrons are in this state they can start to feel the quantum effects of other electrons and act in coordinated, quantum ways. Then, exotic behavior such as superconductivity and unique forms of magnetism may emerge. Now, physicists at MIT have successfully trapped electrons in a pure crystal.