Electron bound states in the continuum observed in metal Pd5AlI2

Physicists at Columbia University have reported the first experimental evidence that electron waves can be trapped inside a metal through quantum interference. The bound states in the continuum (BIC) appeared near atomic defects in the 2D metal Pd5AlI2, with results published in Science.

• BIC was previously shown only for light, now for electrons in a metal
• Traps form around random defects in the Pd5AlI2 crystal lattice
• Electrons in Pd5AlI2 move slower due to hopping frustration between atoms
• The effect could aid quantum sensors and quantum information processing