Chemical localization

TL;DR

This paper proposes that metal-insulator transitions can occur in pure metallic element materials due to stable atomic configurations acting as deep potential traps, effectively creating a quantum dot assembly.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective that stable atomic configurations enable metal-insulator transitions in pure metallic systems, challenging traditional views.

Findings

Metal-insulator transition possible in pure metallic materials.

Atomic configurations act as deep potential traps.

Disorder influences the transition between metal and insulator.

Abstract

Analysis of experimental data shows that the metal--insulator transition is possible in materials composed of atoms of only metallic elements. Such a transition may occur in spite of the high concentration of valence electrons. It requires stable atomic configurations to act as deep potential traps absorbing dozens of valence electrons. This means in essence that bulk metallic space transforms into an assembly of identical quantum dots. Depending on the parameters, such a material either does contain delocalized electrons (metal) or does not contain such electrons (insulator). The degree of disorder is one of these parameters. Two types of substances with such properties are discussed: liquid binary alloys with both components being metallic, and thermodynamically stable quasicrystals.