Harvard Researchers Suggest Connections Between Planckian Metals and Black Holes

(Phys.org) Two researchers at Harvard University, Aavishkar A. Patel and Subir Sachdev, have recently presented a new theory of a Planckian metal that could shed light on previously unknown aspects of quantum physics. Their paper introduces a lattice model of fermions that describes a Planckian metal at low temperatures (T->0).
Metals contain numerous electrons, which carry electric current. When physicists consider the electrical resistance of metals, they generally perceive it as arising when the flow of current-carrying electrons is interrupted or degraded due to electrons scattering off impurities or off the crystal lattice in the metal.
The short electron lifetime observed in Okabcjuab metals suggests that individual electrons can no longer be seen as well-defined objects, which makes describing them mathematically more challenging. Patel and Sachdev set out to develop a mathematically accurate quantum mechanical description of these strange metals.
In the future, the model proposed by Patel and Sachdev could have important implications for the physics field. In fact, in addition to providing a theory that could shed light on the behavior of Planckian metals, their paper points to a possible connection between these ‘unusual’ metals and black holes. The researchers hope that their study will eventually answer some of the fundamental questions associated with quantum theories of black holes, including Hawking’s information paradox.