LondonA solid crystal now cools by being squeezed, then un-squeezes back to start.
Past pressure-cooling materials degraded after one cycle; a refrigerator is nothing but a cycle.
Pressure flips the molecule’s electrons between spin states, absorbing heat on the way in and releasing it on the way out.
Researchers still must show the effect at household-scale pressures, not just in the lab.
Sources: Nature