A quantum leap: INL discovers new behavior in plutonium that could reshape nuclear science - Idaho National Laboratory
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June 4, 2026
A quantum leap: INL discovers new behavior in plutonium that could reshape nuclear science
Plutonium is one of the most complex elements in the periodic table. First synthesized and isolated in 1940 by scientists...
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Feature Story
A quantum leap: INL discovers new behavior in plutonium that could reshape nuclear science
June 4, 2026
By John O'Connor
Plutonium is one of the most complex elements in the periodic table. First synthesized and isolated in 1940 by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, plutonium has been studied closely for more than eight decades. It’s most often associated with its role in nuclear security, but it’s also vital to nuclear power, where it is produced in reactors and can be recycled as fuel. Despite plutonium’s importance, some of its most fundamental behaviors remain a mystery.
Scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have made an important discovery: A compound called plutonium hexaboride (PuB₆) exhibits a one-of-a-kind quantum property known as a topological Kondo insulating state. Published in Physical Review Research, this finding marks one of only a handful of times such behavior has been observed in plutonium material — opening a new window for research into how some of nature’s most complex elements actually work.
Understanding the discovery
A topological Kondo insulating state sounds complex, but the core idea is surprisingly intuitive.
Most materials on Earth fall into one of two camps: They either conduct electricity (such as copper wiring) or they don’t allow electricity to pass through easily (like rubber insulation). Topological insulators break this mold in a fascinating way. They have special properties that block electrical current within their interior while allowing it to flow freely along their exterior surfaces. The surface conductivity of topological insulators is unusually strong; it can’t be easily disrupted by impurities or physical defects.
The “Kondo” part refers to a specific quantum effect where electrons inside a material interact so strongly with one another that they create entirely new collective behaviors — ones that can’t be predicted by looking at individual atoms in isolation. Plutonium is a striking example. It contains 5f electrons, which are especially prone to these intense interactions, making it one of the most dramatic and complex materials known.
"Plutonium is defined by the unusual dual nature of its 5f electrons,” said INL scientist Krzysztof Gofryk, who led...