Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay researchers have recently made a breakthrough in material science by revealing unique properties in a particular class of materials known as semi-Dirac metals.
Understanding Semi-Dirac Metals: What Makes Them Different
Metals are renowned for being good conductors of electricity. The quality of this conduction is determined primarily by the relationship between energy and electron momentum. Unlike their ordinary counterparts, Dirac Metals deviate in that the energy is directly proportional to the electrons’ momentum which imparts these metals with their unique properties.
Semi-Dirac metals display characteristics akin to Dirac metals when viewed in a single direction but exhibit properties similar to ordinary metals when viewed perpendicularly due to the divergence in microscopic structure along these two directions. TiO2/V2O3 nanostructures, constituted from Vanadium and Titanium oxides, are illustrative examples of these semi-dirac metals.
Discovery of Unique Properties in Semi-Dirac Metals
The microscopic properties’ direction-dependence equips semi-Dirac materials with distinctive optical capabilities. They exhibit an extraordinarily high optical conductivity of electromagnetic waves, specifically light waves of a certain frequency and polarization. Optical conductivity serves as an indicator of the resistance presented by the material to the passage of light.
When light of a particular frequency and polarization strikes these materials from a certain direction, they appear transparent. However, the same light makes these materials opaque upon striking them from a different direction.
Applications of Semi-dirac Metals
Potential Application Table
| Application | Example |
|---|---|
| Transparent Conducting films | Touch screens in mobile devices |
| Thermoelectricity use | Efficient cars (Keeping lights on, warming seats) |
Thermoelectric Properties of Semi-Dirac Metals
Semi-Dirac materials also possess fascinating thermoelectric properties. Thermoelectricity is a green technology that leverages waste heat to produce electricity, usually in low-power utilization. This technology has found application in energy-efficient vehicles where it keeps the lights on and heats the seats.