In a groundbreaking development that challenges fundamental precepts of condensed matter physics, an international research consortium comprising scientists from Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) has discovered a remarkable metallic state in the molecular compound ytterbium cesium fulleride (Yb₂CsC₆₀). This material defies the well-established theoretical expectation rooted in the Mott transition paradigm, which predicts that strong electron-electron interactions should localize electrons and convert a prospective metal into an insulator. Instead, Yb₂CsC₆₀ exhibits persistent metallicity, indicating that electron motion remains coherent and collective even under conditions where conventional wisdom anticipates electronic localization.
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