Cooper Pair Tango

Synopsis: Electrons in a metal can escape from the atoms that make up the metallic lattice and wander clustered like a gas through the metal. However, they are constantly crashing into each other and atoms on lattice sites, giving rise to electrical resistance. When the temperature gets cold enough in certain metals, two electrons can avoid crashing by joining together to make a Cooper pair. This threesome, two electrons and the phonon (a lattice vibration) that binds them, can move effortlessly without scattering in this superconducting world. But, if attacked by high energy electrons or phonons, the Cooper pair will be broken up into two independent electrons: most probably, one with high energy and the other with very little energy. But alas, nothing is forever, especially at finite temperatures, where high energy electrons and phonons lurk. The electrons are doomed to return to the jungle of lattice vibrations, hopeful that in a time constant or two they might be rejoined - like penguin lovers on ice - as a Cooper pair. The dance, a mix of Martha Graham-style shapes and tension and the sensuous flow of Argentine tango, contrasts the high-energy danger experienced by single electrons with the coherent calm of the Cooper pairs.

Excerpted from the PhD thesis of Irwin L. Singer, Indiana University, Department of Physics, 1976. "Generation and Detection of High-Energy Phonons by Superconducting Junctions."
Peer-reviewed research article: I. L. Singer and W. E. Bron, Phys. Rev. B 14 (1976) 2832.
After his PhD studies. Dr. Singer went to the US Naval Research Lab as a post-doc in 1976. He became a staff member in 1978 and has been head of the Tribology Section in the Chemistry Division since 1984.

Credits:
Created by Irwin Singer
Choreography and Dancers:
Irwin Singer
the lovely Carina
Videographer: Luis Murray
Video editor: Irwin Singer
Music: Taquito Militar, by Mariano Mores
Performed by QuinTango from their 2000 CD album, 'Secret Places'
Special thanks to my wife, Joan Singer, who made it all possible.

Submitted to the 2009 AAAS Science Dance Contest, 13 November 2008.
All rights reserved.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• dance
• PhD
• electrons
• phonons
• Cooper
• pairs
• Superconductivity
• Argentine
• tango
• QuinTango
• Taquito
• Militar
• Mariano
• Mores
• Secret
• Places

[wsilvert]

Wow! I was a graduate student of Leon Cooper (his first in fact, over ten years before Irwin Singer did his work) and was involved with both superconducting tunnelling and the Brown University folk dance club. I never thought of combining the two interests, but this really clicks (a sound made by phonons). But how do the dancers stay together after they have discarded the phonons? Anyway, it is great, I wonder if Leon knows about this!

[irwinsinger]

Thanks for the comment. You couldn't have seen it, but shortly after they threw down the 'phonons' one electron became depressed while the other got excited, at least for a moment. Also, I had no idea Leon is still around. By all means, send this link to him - after all, Cooper pairs are (almost) forever!

[wsilvert]

I sent this URL to Leon Cooper, and his comment was, "the twist would be more appropriate"! I'm inclined to agree, but then there is a lot of twisting and linking in the tango, and after all, the two electrons need to be intertwined.

[kenjmarquez]

I find the lines of the movement very smooth. It flows. It's beautiful to watch the dancers' level of confidence.

[Demireve90]

Wish I had this happening in my physics classes!

[eforlerer]

Excelent the music, the choreography and the dancers

[jbsinger1970]

If only my science teacher had danced like this, I might not have become a social worker...