Physics just threw itself a plot twist. Researchers at the University of Michigan and Japan’s National Magnetic Field Laboratory have spotted quantum oscillations inside an insulator, something that, by all known rules, should not happen.
The material in question, ytterbium boride (YbB₁₂), is supposed to block electricity completely. Yet under an intense 35-Tesla magnetic field —about 35 times stronger than an MRI — it suddenly began behaving like a metal, with electrons vibrating in rhythmic, measurable patterns.
“I wish I knew what to do with that, but at this stage, we have no idea,” admitted Lu Li, lead physicist on the project. “What we have is experimental evidence of a remarkable phenomenon.”
When “no conduction” becomes “quantum dance party”
Quantum oscillations occur when electrons act like tiny springs, bouncing in sync with magnetic fields, a clear signature of metallic behavior. But YbB₁₂ is an insulator, meaning its electrons are normally locked down. Seeing the effect emerge from deep within the material, not just on its surface, has left scientists questioning what they thought they knew about matter itself.
Previous discoveries of this kind were often explained away as “surface effects” from exotic materials called topological insulators, which conduct electricity only on their surfaces. But this time, the oscillations are coming from the bulk — the heart of the material itself.
A new kind of duality
Li calls this discovery evidence of a “new duality.” A century ago, physics was shaken by the revelation that light and matter can behave as both waves and particles. Now, materials like YbB₁₂ seem to be telling us that matter can behave as both a metal and an insulator at the same time.
That’s not just bizarre, it’s paradigm-bending.
“Effectively, we’re showing that the picture we had, a clean surface with good conduction, is completely wrong,” Li said. “It’s the whole compound that behaves like a metal even though it’s an insulator.”
The mystery of the “crazy metal”
The team, which includes more than a dozen scientists from the U.S. and Japan, confirmed that the oscillations are bulk and intrinsic, not caused by impurities or defects. Yet the big question remains: what kind of particles are responsible?
“We don’t yet know what kind of neutral particles are causing the observation,” said graduate researcher Yuan Zhu. “But we hope this discovery inspires new experiments and theories.”
For now, the only certainty is uncertainty. In a universe that never runs out of surprises, even “impossible” materials can turn out to have a secret life, one that dances to the rhythm of quantum physics itself.
