By Peter Weiss
The strange rules of quantum mechanics apply mainly to the atomic and subatomic domains. Only rarely do those rules manifest themselves on a larger scale, as in the case of superconductors, which let electricity pass without resistance. Physicists prize phenomena such as these because they offer a sometimes bizarre, big-screen picture of quantum mechanics in action.
Now, European researchers report that they may have discovered a thoroughly unexpected example of large-scale quantum behavior. It takes place in ultracold samples of certain types of glass. The experimenters stumbled upon it while trying to improve on low-temperature thermometers by using glasses whose capacitance, or ability to store charge, varies with temperature.