Coinage Metals + Zn 4+1 Kernels

README: Kernel Physics & Zn as Dielectric GND

Why Zn is Inert Filler

Zn 30 has electron configuration [Ar] 3d10 4s2. The 3d subshell is fully filled with 10 paired electrons, and 4s² gives 2 paired valence electrons. Result: 0 unpaired electrons = 0 "lasers" in kernel terms.

• Paired electrons: No magnetic moment, no spin state to flip. Cannot store information or trap an IN electron.
• Closed shells: 3d¹⁰ is extremely stable. Ionization energy 9.39 eV - requires UV to excite.
• GND function: In this 4+1 architecture, Zn acts as dielectric fill and ground plane. Provides bulk stability, thermal mass, and charge reference without participating in logic.
• No state change: IN pulses, O1 toggles, and temperature have no effect. OUT current always 0. D value fixed at baseline.

Coinage Metals: Cu, Ag, Au Trap Behavior

Group 11 elements share (n-1)d10 ns1 config, giving 1 unpaired s electron = 1 laser channel. But relativistic effects create distinct trap profiles:

• Cu 29 - Deep Trap: [Ar] 3d10 4s1. Small ionic radius, tight 4s orbital. IN electron falls deep into Coulomb well. Hard to eject - requires high temp or strong O1 laser. High retention, low switching speed.
• Ag 47 - Perfect Trap: [Kr] 4d10 5s1. This is the unique sweet spot. 4d¹⁰ provides excellent core shielding without relativistic contraction. 5s¹ is held loosely enough for clean O1 release, but deep enough for stable storage. Lowest trap depth variance. This is why Ag has lowest resistivity of all elements.
• Au 79 - Leaky Trap: [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1. Heavy element relativistic effects contract 6s orbital and expand 5d. Spin-orbit coupling splits states. Trap is shallow + thermally noisy. Spontaneous emission common. Poor for information storage, good for catalysis.

Why 4d¹⁰5s¹ is Unique to Ag

Ag sits at the Goldilocks zone of the periodic table for electron trapping:

• R < 71: Elements lighter than Lu have minimal relativistic effects. 5s orbital has normal radial distribution.
• d¹⁰ shielding: The filled 4d¹⁰ shell perfectly screens nuclear charge for 5s¹. Unlike Cu's 3d or Au's 5d, the 4d orbitals have optimal energy/distance.
• Single laser: Unlike transition metals with multiple unpaired d electrons, Ag has exactly one addressable quantum state. No cross-talk.
• Empirical result: Ag has σ = 6.30×10⁷ S/m at 293K, beating Cu 5.96×10⁷ despite Cu having higher free electron density. The perfect trap = perfect conduction pathway.

Control Behavior

IN Pulse: Injects one electron into all kernels simultaneously. Cu/Ag/Au attempt to trap per their well depth. Zn ignores it.

O1 Button: Simulates read/laser pulse. Trapped electrons in Cu/Ag/Au can be ejected to OUT if energy exceeds trap depth. Ag releases cleanly, Cu needs more work, Au leaks randomly.

10kHz Clock: System clock for measurement sampling. Visual indicator only.

Temp Slider: Lattice temperature 100K-600K. Higher T reduces trap depth via phonon excitation. Au leaky rate increases exponentially. Zn still inert.

D Value: Detuning/stability metric. Lower D = deeper trap = harder to switch. Ag maintains D≈0.5, Cu D≈0.2, Au D≈0.8 with noise, Zn D=1.0 fixed.

OUT Current: Ejected electrons per clock. Integrated over 100ms window.