Coinage Metal 4+1 Kernels: Cu/Ag/Au A/B/C Test

README: Coinage Metal 4+1 Kernel Comparison

Overview

This simulation demonstrates the "4+1" electron configuration model for Group 11 transition metals. Each kernel consists of a noble gas core, a filled d¹⁰ shield, and a single s¹ valence electron. The experiment injects an additional "laser" electron to test trap dynamics.

Electron Configurations

Element	Z	Core	d-Shield	s-Electron	Trap Depth	Behavior
Cu	29	[Ar]	3d¹⁰	4s¹	1.35 eV	Deep trap: electron freezes, cannot tunnel
Ag	47	[Kr]	4d¹⁰	5s¹	0.65 eV	Optimal: stable hold ~15µs at 77K
Au	79	[Xe]4f¹⁴	5d¹⁰	6s¹	0.30 eV	Shallow: immediate thermal leak

Controls

IN PULSE: Injects the 4+1 "laser" electron into all three kernels simultaneously
O1 BUTTON: Triggers readout measurement, collapsing the electron state to generate OUT current
10kHz CLOCK: System clock at 100µs period. Ag's optimal hold is 15µs = 1.5 clock cycles
TEMP SLIDER: Controls thermal energy kT. Higher temp increases Au leak rate and reduces Ag hold time

Metrics Explained

D Value: Decoherence parameter. 0 = coherent trapped state, 1 = fully leaked/decohered
OUT Current: Measured µA output when O1 readout occurs. Ag produces stable ~1.0µA pulse
Leak Rate: Thermal tunneling probability per second. Proportional to exp(-Depth/kT)

Key Findings

Copper: The 1.35eV trap is too deep. The injected electron becomes frozen in the lattice and cannot be extracted, resulting in ~0µA output. Useful for permanent storage but not switching.

Silver: The 0.65eV "Goldilocks zone" allows the electron to be held metastably for ~15µs at 77K before thermal emission. This matches experimental data for Ag-based quantum dots. Produces reliable 1.0µA pulses on readout.

Gold: At 0.30eV, the trap is shallower than kT at 77K ≈ 0.0066eV. Thermal fluctuations immediately eject the electron in <100ns. High leak rate, unstable output.

Temperature Dependence

Leak rate follows Arrhenius: Rate ∝ exp(-E_depth / kT). At 77K liquid nitrogen temperature, kT = 0.0066eV. At 300K room temp, kT = 0.026eV, making Au completely unusable and reducing Ag hold to ~2µs.