Scientists have observed novel ergodicity-breaking in C60, a highly symmetric molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged on the vertices of a 'soccer ball' pattern (with 20 hexagon faces and 12 pentagon faces). Their results revealed ergodicity breaking in the rotations of C60. Remarkably, they found that this ergodicity breaking occurs without symmetry breaking and can even turn on and off as the molecule spins faster and faster. Understanding ergodicity breaking can help scientists design better-optimized materials for energy and heat transfer.
paper, researchers led by JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye, along with collaborators JILA and NIST Fellow David Nesbitt, scientists from the University of Nevada, Reno, and Harvard University, observed novel ergodicity-breaking in C60, a highly symmetric molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged on the vertices of a"soccer ball" pattern . Their results revealed ergodicity breaking in the rotations of C60.
In many cases, ergodicity breaking is tied to what physicists call"symmetry breaking." For example, the internal magnetic moments of atoms in a magnet all point in one direction, either"up" or"down." Despite possessing the same energy, these two distinct configurations are separated by an energy barrier.
The data showed two reasons for this rotational isolation around a single axis. At rotation rates below 3.2 and above 4.5 GHz, the pentagonal and hexagonal rotational sectors are isolated due to energy conservation."It takes more energy to spin a football than a frisbee [due to its mass]," said Liu. In this range, the C60 molecules are ergodic as the pentagonal and hexagonal sectors explore all possible states in distinct energy ranges, just as in the case of ethylene.
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